


Talk to Me

by An_FNG



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: AI, Angst, Antidote Testing, Apex Games, Apology Attempt, Avoidance, Bangalore isn't very popular, Crash Landings, D.O.C., Electrocution, Everyone has their own agenda, F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Forgiveness, Foul Language, Frontier Corps, Gas traps, Hallucinations, Hanging between life and death, Holo-pilot technology, Human Punching Bag, Intoxication, Issues with communication, Kissing, Love Confessions, Massage, Meat cubes, Mirage's Bar, On Going Consent, Panic, Parties, Quick wit and comebacks, Revenge, Shadowfall (Apex Legends), Sharing warmth, Slow Burn, Smut, Sneaky Pictures, Suggestive comments, Survival, Talks on consent, Teaming Up Unofficially, Temporary teamwork, Therapudic Sparring, Torture, apology, break-ins, date, gps, lots of blood, night out, origin story of sorts, simple fluff, test of wills
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:40:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 37
Words: 124,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21825301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/An_FNG/pseuds/An_FNG
Summary: The crash landing of her aircraft on an unfamiliar planet in the Outlands was only the beginning of the IMC's Sergeant First Class Anita Williams's troubles.  She quickly finds herself at odds with a combat medic, a holo-pilot, and a gasman who all just want her to answer a couple small questions.  There's no guarantee that they will let her live if she does cooperate and it's certain she won't if she doesn't.  Anita has one objective: Survive and make it back to her family.  It will take everything she has to keep on fighting through one unexpected turn after the other.
Relationships: Bangalore | Anita Williams/Lifeline | Ajay Che, Hint of Darksparks, Hint of Miragehound
Comments: 207
Kudos: 210





	1. Crash Course

Alarms rang out all around her along with the flashing red lights letting her know everything that was wrong with the aircraft. It didn’t matter, the aircraft was quickly losing altitude and there was no way she could fix it. She kept her hold on the steering module, pulling back to try and level out the inevitable crash landing. As the ground got closer and closer, she braced for impact. The crunch of metal and plastics was accompanied by the loud pop of the airbags deploying and the whiplash from being thrown against her seat belts, only to be thrown right back into her seat. Screeching and scraping filled the air as the aircraft dug a deep trench through the dirt and rocks. Everything was still moving when her vision went dark.

Ringing. Blurred surroundings. A pounding in her head. It was a miracle that she survived the crash. So far. Her unsteady hand fumbled around and eventually found her knife stored in her belt. After a few wild swipes she was able to deflate the airbags pinning her to her seat and cut herself free from the seat belts. The command for her limbs to move wasn’t exactly followed as her body just flopped out of the chair and onto the debris ridden floor. A spatter of blood fell in her line of sight. Dark brown eyes squinted for a moment, watching more of the red liquid fall as her mind tried to figure out where the blood might be coming from. Everything hurt. With a grunt she shoved herself to her unsteady feet and stumbled to the nearest wall. Using the walls support she continued to maneuver around the wreck that used to be her aircraft. She looked out around the open side of the aircraft. It was a mess, fluids steadily leaking out of their containers, rounds scattered like toothpicks, guns either twisted into pretzels or thrown out of their holders, and boxes of rations were strewn all over the grassy ground surrounding the crash site. She spotted a med kit and tried to crouch down to grab it, only to lose her balance and fall clumsily onto her face.

Despite the embarrassing performance, she could now grab the item. A deep breath was taken in as the syringe was shot into her body. Bit by bit her vision steadied and the ringing in her ears ceased.

“This is really my day! A whole aircraft of supplies!”

“A good fortune. I hope there will be pieces and chemicals I can use for my experiments.”

Dark eyes widened, upon finally hearing the voices quickly approaching her location. Of course the crash didn’t go by unnoticed. She grabbed for the nearest pistol, checked the magazine, and turned off the safety. She wasn’t about to go down with a fight.

“As I was saying-woah!”

She shot as soon as the person stepped into view. There were no friends to be found here. Shaky legs buckled as she jumped onto the grass, changing to a more defensive and mobile position by the tail of the aircraft. The soft thud against the grass and the faint beeping triggered her trained reflexes to jump and roll to the side just before the grenade went off. A grunt came out as several shards of shrapnel dug into her already wounded body and she was thrown hard against the ground by the force of the explosion. Two figures stepped out from behind the aircraft. She sat up to fire, but only hit what appeared to be illusions. A few gunshots were fired in return, tearing into her arm and shoulder. A foot came in from the side, kicking the gun out of her hands.

“Looks like someone actually survived this train wreck!”

She lunged for the person, not wanting to wait for them to kill her. A boot collided with her sternum, sending her right back onto the ground, gasping for breath. She wished she had been wearing more of her armor.

“IMC, sure is a feisty one,” the man above her smirked as he kept his gun trained on her.

He wore a set of goggles, what looked like an array of small speakers all over his arms, and a bright yellow jumpsuit under his gear. She was confused as to who or what this person was trying to be. A DJ? Some sort of performer? Her brain was a little too scrambled to think clearly.

“We may gain advantageous information by keeping her alive,” the second, bulkier figure stated as they approached.

The gas mask, the gas tanks strapped to his body, and the hazard suit told her that this man was very fond of chemicals or was a germaphobe, or both.

“You think so?” the one in the jumpsuit directed towards the other.

The bulkier figure just silently stared right back at him.

“What do you say?” the one in the jumpsuit directed to her.

She kept her mouth shut and just glared at them.

“Perfect,” the muffled voice said. “I shall enjoy extracting the information out of you by force.”

A heavy boot swung in her direction making everything go dark.

Everything hurt, that wasn’t new. Neither was the blurred vision or the muffled sounds reaching her ears. However, what was new was her location and position. Upon trying to move her arms a wave of blinding pain raced up and down her left arm and shoulder where she had been recently shot. Eyes scrunched shut as gritted teeth kept her cry of pain silent. After a few moments of staying still, the worst of it had passed by. Dark brown eyes slowly opened, looking up at her hands tied above her head and held in place by a vertical loop of metal attached to the steel wall she had been seated against. Fingers carefully searched around for the knots, finding one and beginning to pick at it as her vision cleared. Three figures stood on the other side of a chain-linked fence. Two she recognized from the crash site, but the third, smallest one was unfamiliar. It wasn’t hard to notice all of the IMC gear and supplies from the aircraft collected in the room where the people stood. A deep frown formed on her face. The voices from the figures finally cleared up enough for her to understand them.

“Not a bad haul at all! Food, ammunition, water, what else could a guy need?”

“Perhaps a few bandages to take care of those holes in ya arms?” an accented voice retorted.

She couldn’t help but feel a little satisfied that some of her shots did find their mark.

“They grazed me! Barely anything at all.”

“Then I think ya won’t be needing me to take care of it.” The third figure walked away and turned to face in her direction. “Ay! Looks like she’s awake.”

Panic rushed through her veins as fingers worked harder at the knot, trying to loosen up any part of it as the three made their way over led by the smallest.

“Ya can try all day and night, but ya ain’t getting out. Those knots will hold a holograph down.”

The woman’s red hair was tied up into two buns on the top of her head. Cargo pants and a bloodstained tank top along with a variety of packs were strapped to her waist, hips, and arm. A D.O.C. weaved around the other two behind her and hovered by the woman’s side. She casually leaned against the drone as she looked her up and down.

“Banged her up pretty bad didn’t ya?”

“Most of that was from the crash,” the man in the yellow jumpsuit defended.

She recognized the devices on his arms and torso this time, holo-pilot technology. It was no wonder those figures she had shot at earlier had just vanished leaving her open for him to attack.

“Soon there will be more,” the gasman stated, “if she refuses to talk.”

“Look,” the holo-pilot directed to her, “we kept you alive so you can tell us what you know about the IMC’s movements in this area or other useful information, whatever,” he waved his hand about. “If you don’t talk then we’re just going to kill you.”

She locked her jaw and glared at him. The gasman crouched down, reached out, and squeezed the gunshot wound in her shoulder. Agonizing pain rushed from the spot, lighting up all of her nerves. It took everything she had to not give them the satisfaction of hearing her cry out in pain.

“Let’s see how long you can keep this up, I’m quite interested.”

Blood continued to ooze from the wound, dripping down her side and his hand. After several long moments it was clear neither of them was giving in easily.

“You’re not handling the interrogation Caustic, Lifeline is,” the holo-pilot stated.

“Who made you the boss?” came the muffled response as Caustic increased the pressure on her wound.

A strangled cry escaped her bloodied lips.

“Because we all know you’ll get carried away and end up ‘accidentally’ killing her.”

“That is true,” Lifeline shrugged.

“Fine.”

The grip was released and she gasped out in relief as Caustic stepped back.

“If she takes too long to deliver results Mirage, I will intervene, the longer we stay put the more people will come sniffing around.”

“I know. I know!” Mirage waved his hands about. He turned to Lifeline.

“I got it from here, ya run along,” she confidently smirked.

She was able to steady her breath by the time the two had left the makeshift holding cell. Lifeline pushed off from the drone and crouched down to her level.

“Let’s see…”

A hand lifted her chin up so they were looking each other in the eyes.

“Concussion, bullet wounds, lacerations, burns, shrapnel, internal bleeding,” she listed off as she prodded each of her injured areas, prompting a few winces. “probably a few hairline fractures in your rib cage and collarbones along with whiplash from the crash. You look like you could use some help.”

She breathed out evenly, and set her jaw. Whatever this woman was going to do to her, she was prepared to take, she wasn’t going to spill any secrets.

“Why don’t we start with the basics? All IMC personnel have some sort of identifier imbedded in them.” Lifeline waved the drone over. It extended a flexible cable that she grabbed a hold of. “Generally, right around…here!”

“Argh!” she cried out as a swift stab was made to her lower back.

“Ha! First try.” The bloodied chip was held up between Lifeline’s gloved fingers. “Show me what ya got.”

The chip was cleaned off and then inserted into a port in the droid. It projected a small screen.

“IMC Sergeant First Class Anita Williams…blood type B-…35, looking good for your age and combat time.” Lifeline hummed as she continued to read. She tapped on the drone twice and the projection disappeared. “I like ‘Nita better.”

Anita carefully watched Lifeline, she was smart and competent, a dangerous combination in an enemy.

“Ajay Che, combat medic, but here I’m known as Lifeline,” she extended her hand, paused then reached up to shake one of Anita’s bound hands.

Anita gritted her teeth through the pain of having her arms moved around again. Lifeline stared at her for a moment, waiting for a response. Anita wasn’t going to give one. Lifeline sighed and shifted so she had a better view of the bullet wounds in Anita’s left arm and shoulder. The drone followed her around.

“Looks like these are giving you a bit of trouble, feel free to speak up if things get to be too much.”

Anita raised an eyebrow as she watched the woman’s movements from the side. She reached into one of her pouches and searched around for a little bit. A flash of metal was seen and Anita put two and two together a moment too late. Metal tweezers dug into her bullet wound searching around.

“ARGH!” Anita cried out as she tried to pull away.

“Hold still! Ya still got a bullet in here.”

Anita did her best to, but she couldn’t help the involuntary movements her body would still make.

“Much better now,” came the single laugh.

Hot breath brushed against Anita’s ear as Lifeline leaned in close while digging the tweezers around.

“There’s no medical need for me to be doing this.” The sentence was punctuated by another painful dig that made Anita cry out. “The bullet went right through.”

Anita’s eyes went wide as the realization hit her.

Lifeline shifted to she was looking Anita in the eyes. “Just checking things out for fun, looks like ya still have a clavicle and scapula,” she winked.

Dark brown eyes narrowed through the pain. She had learned her lesson. There wasn’t going to be any good will behind her medical examinations or “care”. It was all part of the game.

“I don’t…think you’ve dug around there…enough,” Anita spoke between steadying breaths.

“Oh? Don’t mind if I do,” Lifeline smirked.

The next jab with the tweezers wasn’t in the anticipated shoulder wound, but in the one in her arm, taking Anita by surprise.

“YRGH!”

“This one went right through as well, too bad.”

Deep, even breaths were pulled in and out to help her make it through the pain. After a couple more digs the bloodied tweezers were removed, sanitized, and returned to their pouch. Lifeline shifted to the other side of her body, eyes focused on the large piece of shrapnel sticking out of her right side. Fingers reached out and barely wiggled the piece of metal back and forth. Stars danced in Anita’s vision. Hands clenched into fists as she focused on her breathing. That hurt.

“Ya pretty good, probably not ya first time dealing with this type of situation, right?”

Anita almost responded, but quickly closed her mouth. She wasn’t falling for the trick of using simple conversation to get her talking that then slowly leads to her spilling secrets.

Lifeline huffed and rolled her eyes. “It’s going to get real boring if ya won’t say _anything_.”

“You’re doing a poor job of communicating what you want from me. Do you and your buddies even know what information you want?” she quipped.

That retort got her another painful wiggle from the piece of shrapnel.

“Arghhh…guess I’m right…” Anita laughed through her gritted teeth.

“Seems odd for an IMC aircraft to be this far into the Outlands with the war all over and everything. What ya got to say about that?”

Anita didn’t respond.

Lifeline motioned for her drone to come over. “Looks like playing nice won’t work with ya, ‘Nita.” A small claw from the D.O.C. was latched onto the piece of shrapnel. “Who else is coming?”

Anita kept her mouth shut.

Lifeline made a motion to the drone and the claw pushed the piece of shrapnel deeper into her side.

“Mmmm!”

“What about supplies? There’s always some stuff hidden around that could be put to better use.” Lifeline paused to give her a chance to speak.

“What’s with a bunch of civvies doing walking around with guns and playing dress up?”

Lifeline rolled her eyes. “I’ll give ya another chance to say something useful.”

“I’m not telling you shit.”

The drone suddenly ripped the piece of shrapnel out of her side, blood flying through the air as the piece of metal zipped to the drone. A silent scream was breathed out into the air. Anita blinked away the tears that had formed in her eyes.

“Ya should have played nice,” came the tisk.

Anita glanced down to the dark blood seeping from the open gash in her side.

“I say ya got twenty minutes, best, before you bleed to death. Got anything ya want to say? This here can patch ya up real good,” Lifeline stated as she patted the top of her drone, “but it needs a few magic words to work.”

Dark brown eyes went back and forth from her growing puddle of blood and the D.O.C. Anita set her angular jaw and held her head up as high as she could, her black curly hair brushing against the metal loop holding her to the wall.

Lifeline sighed. “We’ll wait then.”

The minutes trickled by. For the first few the two maintained their staring contest until the blood loss began to eat away at Anita’s strength. Centimeter by centimeter her head fell as her breathing became more labored. Lifeline tinkered around with her drone, checking its systems and even had it pull out a few of the smaller pieces of shrapnel stuck in Anita’s body. It didn’t matter if those bled or not, her side was going to be what killed her. She accepted that. There were multiple times before that she should have died and only made it out due to sheer luck or because of someone else’s sacrifice. No one else was in the area and there was little chance her distress call had made it back to her commander.

“Hey!”

A voice called out as a hand waved back and forth in front of her face.

“Ya gonna talk now? Or ya just gonna take a nap?”

Anita barely had the strength to lift her eyes to look at Lifeline. Gloved fingers were pressed against her neck. Her warm brown skin taking on a slightly greyish look because of the blood loss.

“Ya don’t look so good. Pulse is slowing down. Ya have a couple of minutes. I’m still willing to hear what ya got to say.” She sat there expectantly.

Anita just rolled her head to the side so she didn’t have to look at Lifeline. Words were spoken, but she couldn’t hear them. Bit by bit her vision began to close in on her. Her chest fell as she exhaled and didn’t immediately rise with a new breath. At least death was peaceful.

Ba-dum............Ba-dum.........Ba-dum......Ba-dum...Ba-dum...Ba-dum...

Anita’s body twitched, eyes fluttering open. A low groan escaping her lips.

“‘Nita…”

A shallow breath was pulled in, followed by a deeper one. Strength was returning to her body.

“Ya not getting the easy route.”

Eyes focused on the figure crouched next to her before shifting to the drone, and then to the glowing cable running from it to her side. Her healed side.

“If I have to hang ya between life and death to get my answers, then that’s what we gonna do.”

“You’re…you’re…healing me…”

A hand reached out and lifted Anita’s chin up.

“Ya got an award for that observation.”

Anita jerked her chin out from Lifeline’s lose hold. Her world spun around for a moment. Another groan drifted past her lips, making the other chuckle. After everything settled back down again, Anita frowned and shifted from her slouched position to a better one. If she was going to still be alive, she might as well keep some of her good posture. However, making the adjustment took nearly all of the strength she had as was left panting heavily with her head tipped back to rest against the steel wall. Trails of sweat running down her face and neck.

“Ya stubborn, that’s for sure.”

Fingers were run along the damp, buzzcut sides of her head. An unnervingly intimate touch.

“Don’t matter, everyone breaks, eventually. We’ll just have to see how long it takes ya to ‘Nita,” Lifeline finished with a wink.


	2. Test of Wills

After the drone had healed her up to a certain extent, Lifeline had it stop. Just enough to keep her conscious and stable. One more attempt was made to ask the same two questions, but Anita remained silent. With a huff Lifeline stood up and walked away, the drone following her like a loyal pet.

Sitting on the hard concrete against the cold steel wall was very uncomfortable. Anita had to shift around to try and keep the blood flowing to her legs and arms. The forearms and hands were especially hard since they were above her head and there was no way to bring them down below her heart that didn’t involve doing a handstand on the metal loop. Not that she couldn’t do that, quite the contrary, but she couldn’t do that in the condition she was in. She settled with picking at the knots and testing out the strength of the cords and metal loop. Moving agonized her bullet wounds, but it forced the blood to her fingers, keeping them alive. The last thing she needed was to lose one of her hands. She’d brace against the wall and push out with her triceps or saw the ropes back and forth against any edge she could find on the mostly smooth piece of metal. Only when she couldn’t take the pain any longer did she halt and catch her breath. Dark brown eyes scanned her surroundings, trying to locate any discarded scrap that could be used as a tool. However, not only had Lifeline taken all of the pieces that she had extracted from her body with her, but the room had been cleared of any rocks or screws. Anything useful she had on herself had been taken away, leaving her in the simple IMC, light armor typically worn under everything else.

Anita shifted to the side and attempted to kick at the metal loop with her boots. Teeth were gritted together, if this worked, the pain would be worth it. Several attempts left her gasping for breath, fuzzy vision, and in a world of hurt.

“Looks like I should have left ya more dead,” the familiar voice came from the side.

Anita whirled her head towards the sound, cursing herself for being so distracted with getting away that she hadn’t kept an eye on her surroundings.

“Ya sure are active,” Lifeline smirked as she took a step closer and crouched down; her drone peeking out from behind her.

Anita quickly repositioned herself so she was facing her interrogator. The fast movement made her head and neck hurt.

“Time for your check-up ‘Nita. Ribs still fractured?”

Instead of waiting for a response, Lifeline quickly punched Anita in the sternum, sending shockwaves of pain all throughout her torso.

“Ah!” Anita coughed out.

“Check! Bullet wounds still open?”

Two more punches were delivered, one to each of the holes in her making her body jerk and sing with pain.

“I can keep going, or you can tell me instead,” Lifeline paused, her fist pulled back ready to deliver the next check-up.

Anita breathed out harshly as she glared at her. “Concussion still there?”

“What I want to know from ya,” Lifeline sighed, “The-”

“I know,” Anita cut her off with a snarl. “That’s my response.”

Lifeline pressed her lips into a line before punching Anita in the jaw. The hard crack made stars dance around for a moment, not enough to knock her out, but not too far from it.

“Lacerations?”

Was the only warning she got before her torso and legs were peppered with a series of strikes. Anita remained silent, aside from a few cries of pain, for the rest of her “check-up”.

“Well ‘Nita, looks like ya still injured and still my problem,” Lifeline stated as she sat down and leaned back against her D.O.C. while folding her arms across her chest. “How about we try this? Tell me what ya want. Maybe we can reach some understanding? We get what we want and then we help ya out.”

“Like you’ll hold that end of the deal,” Anita spat out the blood in her mouth.

“What have ya to lose?” Lifeline shrugged.

“My dignity and loyalty.”

“Mmmm, ya loyalty to a corporation,” Lifeline hummed. “That’s gonna pay out well,” she laughed.

“Assume what you like.”

An eyebrow was raised up at that. “Not loyal to the IMC then? But if that were true ya wouldn’t have waited so long before fessing up. Family? Or…” A smirk pulled Lifeline’s lips to the side as she sat up and had the drone display the data from Anita’s chip again. “Looks like ya family might as well be the IMC, judging by how many siblings ya got working for them.”

Anita tensed up.

“Wonder what’s taking them so long to come get their sister?”

“Shut up!” Anita lashed out with a kick that barely touched Lifeline’s leg.

Lifeline was on her feet in one second, and in the next a hard kick was delivered to Anita’s stomach, leaving her gasping for breath.

“Looks like we found a sensitive spot,” Lifeline smirked as she put a hand under Anita’s chin to lift her head up. “Care to elaborate?”

“Fuck you…” Anita breathed out.

“I didn’t know we shared the same taste,” came a light tease.

Anita pulled back in surprise.

“Am I right?”

The angular jaw was set in place. She had already let out too much.

“I’ll take that as a maybe,” Lifeline winked. “Now, I’ll give ya a chance to fess up before I play another round of doctor. What are the IMC’s movements in the area?”

Anita just glared at her.

“Are there any stores of supplies near here? And if so, where are they?”

They maintained their staring contest for a few moments before Lifeline rolled her eyes.

“Guess we be playing doctor now.”

She waved the drone over. It extended its glowing cable that Lifeline promptly jabbed into Anita’s side. As the blue lights flowed towards her, she could feel her body starting to repair itself. Anita almost relaxed, but something felt off, why was she being healed? Shouldn’t there be a negative response for refusing to comply? Once again the pieces clicked together a little too late. The cable turned red and a powerful electrical current was shot through her body. Muscles tensed and spasmed, her head jerked up and down as it continued. As her eyes were about to roll to the back of her head the current stopped. Anita gasped out, her arms hanging by their restraints as all the energy in her body had been extinguished.

“Now, care to mention any spots where we would find supplies?”

The fact that the cable was still attached to her did not go by unnoticed. Anita simply kept her mouth shut as she stared out ahead of her. Lifeline nodded at the D.O.C. and she was hit with the electrical current again.

“Aaarrggghhhh!”

This one lasted a little longer than the first, Anita’s vision was fuzzy by the time it stopped. She felt the gloved hand against the side of her face turning her head so they were looking at each other.

“Ya brother happen to mention when he was going to meet up with ya?”

Anita saw red. Despite how much pain she was in or how weak her body was, she managed to deliver a sharp roundhouse to Lifeline’s upper torso and right arm. The force of the kick threw Lifeline to the ground, her hands and face hitting the hard surface. However, before Anita could land a second hit the drone turned red and sent the current back into her. It didn’t let up even after it had been longer than the first two rounds combined. As Anita’s vision was going dark, the last thing she saw was Lifeline pushing herself off the ground.

Lifeline rubbed the side of her face as she checked their prisoner’s vitals. She was unconscious, but alive and somewhat stable. It would be a bit before she recovered enough to wake up.

“Damn ya ‘Nita,” Lifeline grumbled. “Guess that’s too sensitive of a spot to poke close range.”

She affectionately rubbed the top of her D.O.C. “Thanks for having my back.”

The drone beeped in return and nuzzled her. Lifeline smiled and got to her feet.

“Why don’t we check out what’s for dinner? All this is making me hungry,” she said as she motioned to the unconscious IMC soldier.

“‘Meat cubes?’ Couldn’t they at least specify what kind of flavor I’m supposed to look for when I bite into this? What is one supposed to think of ‘Meat Cubes’?” Mirage said as he opened up the MRE and stuffed two of the packages into the flameless ration heater.

“An unnecessary specification that doesn’t alter the function,” Caustic replied as he scooped up a spoonful of beans from his MRE.

“I would still like to know, you know, so I know I’m not eating something sketchy.”

“It’s military food, best ya don’t know what ya eating,” Lifeline shrugged as she looked through the options.

“That does not bring any comfort to me.”

Lifeline settled for one that contained the ‘popular’ meat cubes, this time with mashed potatoes, green beans, coffee, and an oatmeal cookie. She sat back on her drone and faced the other two. Mirage was pushing around his heated-up meat cubes, still debating if it was worth eating them, and Caustic was somehow eating his without removing his mask. Lifeline ripped open the package and began to prep her meal.

“Ugh! It’s…got texture and chews, but no distinct taste. How do they even eat like this?” Mirage motioned to the unconscious IMC soldier on the other side of the chain-link fence. “No flavor! I couldn’t live like that.”

“I wonder, if I were to surround you with noxious gas would you talk yourself to death or would you actually try to hold your breath and work to escape?” Caustic said.

“What?” Mirage raised an eyebrow. “We agreed to get along here since we are all heading in the same direction. Once we get to the games, then we can let our skills decides who wins.”

“He’s saying ya a chatter box,” Lifeline shot out.

“I am not!”

Caustic rolled his eyes and continued eating.

“Am I?” Mirage directed to Lifeline.

“Maybe ya should be handling the interrogations, ya’d talk her to the point where she’d say anything to shut ya trap.”

Lifeline laid out her food on her tray, everything heated up that needed to be.

“How is it going? Do you have any answers?”

“‘Nita’s a tough nut, but I’ve got a few cracks going,” Lifeline smirked.

“‘Nita?”

“Anita Williams, Sergeant First Class,” Caustic clarified. “It’s been one day already; we can’t spare too many more. If she’s not talking by the end of tomorrow, I’m taking over.”

“Ya crack a nut too hard and ya shatter all the meat inside.”

“It’s all the same once it’s been eaten.”

“Hey now, I’m with Lifeline on this. We still have time, let her work her magic,” Mirage spoke up. “We could really use those supplies, maybe buy us some information and passage so we don’t have to make this whole trip on the one tank of gas we have.”

“For now I relent,” Caustic stated as he stood up and walked away.

Mirage went back to his food while Lifeline’s attention was drawn to the limp figure. She adjusted her grip on her tray of food and began to walk towards the opening in the chain-link fence.

“Why?! Why this flavor?!” Mirage exclaimed to himself.

Lifeline sat down in front of Anita and leaned back against her ever-present drone. She stared at their prisoner, noting her hanging head. That was sure to cause some good neck pain.

Light hazel eyes moved to the foot only a half of a meter away from where hers were crisscrossed. Lifeline shifted and lightly kicked the foot.

No reaction.

Another harder kick was done.

Still none.

She kicked the foot several times. “C’mon wake up.”

Dark brown eyes suddenly shot open, darting around the room as Anita’s body tensed and jerked as if not remembering that she was tied up or injured.

“Arghhhh,” the low groan came out as eyes were scrunched shut.

Lifeline watched all of her movements with mild amusement as she slowly ate a couple of spoonsful of mashed potatoes. Anita settled down, shifting into a better seated position, breathing heavily. Dark brown eyes wandered in her direction; Lifeline couldn’t help but smirk.

“Got nothing better to do I see,” the slightly gruff voice stated.

The way Anita quickly licked her lips and swallowed told Lifeline that the woman’s throat was parched. She would be dehydrated as well considering she had been held captive for over 24hrs now and none of them had given her anything to drink.

“Care for a drink?” Lifeline held up her full water bottle.

Anita’s attention went directly to the water bottle. Lifeline watched the internal battle rage in the woman’s mind before she just kept her mouth shut and looked away.

“Ay now…it’s perfectly good water.” Lifeline screwed off the cap and took a good drink from it. “See?”

Anita kept up her act of uninterest.

“If ya not thirsty, then I guess ya not hungry either.” A couple of meat cubes were pushed around until they were scooped up and eaten. Mirage was right, the texture felt right, but what it was supposed to taste like was impossible to place. “You wouldn’t happen to be a fan of these meat cubes now would you?”

Once again, she remained as silent as ever. Lifeline huffed.

“I’m trying to offer ya some food.”

A scoff. “For information, don’t think I don’t know the game you’re playing.”

That pissed her off a little. “I was doing it to be nice to ya, but if ya wanting nothing, then so be it.” Lifeline promptly shoved a spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

“Nice?” the deeper voice chuckled. “Really? Maybe I just mistook all of your actions and that you were actually being ‘nice’ to me this whole time.”

“I just thought-”

“Thought that if I accepted part of your meal that I’d be more talkative? Or even better I’d now be in your debt and you could leverage that against me?”

Lifeline glared at her. “Well, glad we made things clear ‘Nita so I can finish the rest of this questionable IMC MRE guilt free.”

They didn’t talk for the rest of the time Lifeline was eating. Once she had finished, she stood up and returned her tray to the supply room. Upon her return to the room, Anita was already busy with kicking at the metal loop again. There was still plenty of fight in her, but her movements weren’t as strong as before. Lifeline casually strolled into the room, prompting Anita halt her efforts and focus on her.

“What do ya say we perform another check-up?” Lifeline said as she crouched down to her level, a slight smirk on her face. “See how ya holding up.”

“Do your worst,” Anita growled.

“I don’t know if ya really want to encourage me,” Lifeline chuckled as the drone stuck its cable into Anita’s side. “It’s always best to be completely honest with your doctor. Now where might we find some stash of supplies?”

“In the room over there,” Anita motioned with her head.

At her signal the drone sent a strong shock through the cable. Anita’s body tensed and jerked around, eyes scrunched shut, her teeth gritted in attempts to keep her cry of pain quiet. With another signal the shock was ended.

“I thought ya were going to be honest with me,” Lifeline dramatically sighed. “Let me ask again. Any OTHER supplies the IMC might be hiding around here?”

“Like you civvies would be able to figure out how to locate them even if I did tell you.”

The signal was given again.

“ARRRGHHHH!”

By the time Lifeline told the drone to stop electrocuting Anita, wisps of smoke could be seen rising off her body. Lifeline took a seat next to Anita, preparing for a long check-up. She knew Anita would crack sooner or later.

Each failure to cooperate and answer the two questions was met with varying intensity and length of electric shocks. She’d always give Anita enough time to clear her mind and catch her breath before asking the questions. Each time some retort or silence was the response. The next shock the woman barely reacted to, her body convulsing without restraint. Lifeline halted her drone and opened up Anita’s eyes. Dark brown eyes were practically rolled back into her head, the light nearly fading from them. The D.O.C. was then instructed to heal, thankfully bringing back some of the light in those eyes.

Lifeline continued to push from there, bringing Anita to the edge of death as she refused to cooperate only to pull her back at the last moment. For several hours she did this, never losing the fascination of seeing the light come and go in Anita’s eyes or watching how she responded each time to the electric shocks. Anita always did her best to try and not show her agony, but as she was worn down, she succumbed to it easier and easier.

Right now was one of the few moments Lifeline was letting Anita heal and recover from the latest nasty shock. The woman heaved into her lap, adding the stench of sick to the bodily fluids of piss and shit that had been involuntarily released at some point. Blood dripped from her mouth and nose, her warm brown skin had a greyish hint to it, eyes barely staying open. Lifeline trailed her eyes up to the wall Anita was bound to. Being in contact with the steel metal and having the dampness of sweat on her skin was certainly amplifying the effects of the shocks. Fingers casually ran along buzzcut hair and the edge of damp curls. Anita wasn’t even trying to pull away from her touch anymore. Lifeline’s lips were pulled downward as Anita jerked again and dry heaved. There couldn’t have been much in the woman’s stomach to begin with so it was no surprise they were already at this point. A signal was given to the drone and the healing medicine was steadily applied.

“Ya look and smell like shit ‘Nita,” Lifeline commented as she put her hand under Anita’s chin and raised her face up so she could make eye contact.

If there ever was a time Lifeline had seen such a broken expression, it would be this time. Blood continued to drip from her mouth, most likely from her biting her tongue. A gloved thumb pulled Anita’s lower lip down and opened her mouth slightly. Lifeline’s guess was right on the money. She was tired and her butt was sore from being on the hard concrete for so long, but thankfully Anita wouldn’t be holding out too much longer.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back,” Lifeline stated as she stood up. “Heal her up for another thirty seconds and then that’s it,” she instructed to her drone.

The drone nodded and beeped in understanding.

It took a moment to locate what she wanted, a few minutes to ensure it was hooked up to a relatively clean source of water, and a few more to drag the long hose into the room. With the valve of the faucet opened up, Lifeline proceeded to spray Anita down with the water, focusing on where the vomit and bodily waste was. When it looked like that had cleared up some she did a general pass to clean off a good bit of blood and sweat. By the time Lifeline closed the directed the spray away from Anita, she was sputtering a coughing, completely drenched head to toe. Lifeline smirked and put away the hose.

“Much better,” Lifeline commented as she stood just outside of the puddle of water on the floor. “Now, where were we?”

Anita didn’t respond, she just remained limply leaned back against the steel wall.

“Ah right, ya were about to tell me where the extra supplies were, right?”

Anita grimaced and glanced at her for a moment. Lifeline crossed her arms in front of her chest when no attempt was made to say anything. She made a motion to her D.O.C. and it reattached its cable to her side and proceeded to send another wave of electricity through it. Water is a great conductor, the level that the sparks jumped around and how badly Anita cried out made Lifeline quickly signal for her drone to stop.

“S-stop…”

Lifeline’s ears perked up.

“S-stop…please,” Anita whimpered.

An eyebrow was raised up. “Now why would I do that?”

“Please…I’ll…I’ll tell you what you want.”

“Go on.” Lifeline had to resist the urge to smile triumphantly.

“I’ll talk…w-when everyone is here to listen.”

Lifeline frowned. “Ya can say it to me, I’ll pass it along.”

Anita shook her head. “Everyone, or we go back to playing check-up.”

A huff was forced out as Lifeline turned and headed to find Mirage and Caustic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't be that easy, cant it?


	3. Caving In

“Finally! I knew you could crack her Lifeline,” Mirage gave the medic a high-five. “All that waiting is paying off.”

“I’ll admit I had my doubts for your methods,” Caustic’s muffled voice stated.

“Ya welcome. Now let’s get to it.”

All three of them stood there, waiting on pins and needles for what Anita was going to reveal. The prisoner lifted her head up to look at them.

“W-what I have to say is…” hopeless eyes turned to a hard steel as cracked lips were drawn back in the snarl. “Fuck you, I’m not telling you shit.”

“Such impudence!” Caustic roared as he lashed out with a hard kick to Anita’s ribcage, quickly followed by a second and a third.

“Seriously?!?” Mirage gripped his hair, barely restraining himself from lashing out as well. “All of that for nothing?! What a waste! I thought she finally broke?”

Lifeline’s eyes narrowed as she watched Caustic continue to brutally beat on Anita. Through all of it, the woman had a slight smirk on her bloodied lips. It clicked. Lifeline rushed forward, grabbing Caustic and pulling him away.

“Stop! Stop! That’s exactly what she wants!”

Caustic pushed away from Lifeline and made to resume his attack. Lifeline darted in between the two, pushing against Caustic.

“What do you even mean Lifeline?” Mirage questioned.

“She wanted you to lose control so you’d kill her without thinking!”

Caustic stopped and glared down at Lifeline before trailing his eyes over to the badly beaten prisoner.

“She does have a point,” Mirage hummed, “your kicks are pretty nasty.”

Caustic took a step back.

“You have until tonight to get her to talk, then I’m taking over,” he pointed his finger right in Lifeline’s face.

“Fine!” Lifeline crossed her arms in front of her chest, staying between the two, protecting Anita from further harm.

Caustic walked off. “I shall enjoy tormenting her until she has no option but spill her guts.”

Mirage scratched the back of his neck, watching Caustic leave. He turned his attention back to Lifeline.

“That escalated quickly. I’m still vouching for you, Lifeline, if Caustic gets to her, she’s as good as dead.”

“I know.”

“Anyways,” Mirage shrugged, “good luck with the interrogation,” he finished with two finger guns pointed at her as he walked off.

With the room empty except for her and the prisoner, Lifeline turned around and glared down at the unconscious woman.

“Ya made me look bad.”

A raspy sound was made as Anita took a shallow breath. Lifeline frowned. A punctured lung. That needed to be taken care, while not necessarily fatal, it would make it harder for Anita to talk. Lifeline got a hollow needle out of her one of her pouches and had the drone do a quick body scan. Several broken rib bones came up along with a partially collapsed left lung. The hollow needle was carefully inserted into Anita’s left side. As the needle emitted a low hiss from the air escaping the pleural space, Anita’s breathing recovered. Light hazel eyes wandered up to the new splits in Anita’s skin. One across the bridge of her nose, one around the lower part of her orbital cavity, and one running vertically through the side of her lips. A steady drip of blood fell from Anita’s chin because of them. Lifeline took the cable from the D.O.C. and used it to heal those three cuts. Eyes lingered on the woman’s face, tracing all of the hard lines of her jaw and cheekbones, to the softer curves of her lips and eyes. She almost reached out and touched her, but kept her gloved hand back.

“If ya weren’t such a suborn pain in the ass maybe we could have worked something out. I only got a few more hours until tomorrow. Ya pissed me off enough, I’m not going to try anything else, ya can have fun with the gas psychopath.”

Lifeline took the needle out, healed up the opening, then stood up with a huff and headed for the other room. She paused at the gateway and glanced back at the strong woman.

“I wish it had gone differently, who knows what could have happened? Guess we will never know.”

Night settled in and with it came a bone chilling cold. Sleeping with her usual blanket and the warmth of the D.O.C. wasn’t enough. Lifeline made her way into the supply room to search around for some blankets or jackets that might have been pulled from the aircraft wreckage. After digging around she was able to locate a few jackets and blankets. Lifeline smirked as she picked out a jacket and selected a blanket. As she was about to leave, the lonesome figured tied up in the other room caught her eye. Lips were pulled down into a scowl as she turned away. Arms slipped into the jacket, seconds later she could already feel the warmth enveloping her torso. Lifeline was about to continue her way back to her spot, when a thought struck her. Anita had been left soaked with water, if she had been cold, Anita was far worse off.

“Shit!” Lifeline grumbled as she whirled around, grabbed two more blankets, and dashed for the prisoner.

Teeth were chattering together, her lips, ears, fingers, nose, and chin showed signs of the early stages of frostbite, and her whole body was shivering. Even the puddle of water that had been around her had frozen.

“Vital scan!” she ordered her drone. A frown crossed her face. “She can’t stay here, I need to get her away from the ice and the cold wind otherwise her core body temperature will continue to fall.”

Lifeline checked over both of her shoulders to make sure no one was watching her. Convinced that the coast was clear, she began to untie Anita’s hands. It took a couple of minutes for her to; she did tie very good knots after all. With Anita free from the metal loop, she grabbed the shivering woman under her armpits and pulled her away from the wall and thin sheet of ice. Hands were tied back together behind her back, and legs were tied together at the knees and ankles. Confident that Anita was secure and wasn’t going to get out, Lifeline proceeded to drag her all the way to her sleeping area. It was warmer in this room as the wind was blocked by the steel walls. A quick sweep was done of the room, making sure there wasn’t a tool or scrap that could be easily grabbed by the soldier. Lifeline laid Anita down and rolled her up in a blanket and positioned her on her side, propping her back against a large pipe that was running along the ground. It was sure to be painful for her considering her broken ribs and bullet injuries, but at least she wouldn’t die of hypothermia. A heavy sigh was let out as Lifeline plopped down on the floor. Something on Anita’s face caught her attention. She leaned in for a closer look.

There were lines that cut through the dried blood and dirt covering Anita’s face. Each line could be traced back to the corners of her closed eyes. Lifeline carefully reached out and tenderly stroked Anita’s buzzcut sides. It pulled at her heartstrings to know that she had been crying. She really didn’t know much about this woman or what she had been through that had led her to the fateful crash landing. Lifeline laid down on her side facing Anita, her gloved hand lightly tracing the features on Anita’s face. She scooted her body closer and threw the other blanket over the both of them. Anita’s breathing had evened out and her shivering had stopped for the most part. Lifeline cuddled against the front of her muscular body and closed her eyes. The drone perched itself against Lifeline’s back and went into its sleep mode.

Anita became acutely aware of how bad her body was hurting well before she managed to open her eyes. The weight on her injured shoulder, arm, and ribs caused a constant throb to pulse and any additional movement including breathing made things much worse. She was alive, warm, and surprisingly enough in a different position. It was such a wonderful relief to not be sitting on her sore butt against the concrete and steel wall while having her arms held above her head. Instead, her hands were now tied behind her back along with her legs and ankles being tied together. There was also a blanket rolled completely around her. It didn’t make any sense to her and opening her eyes to the sight that greeted her only confused her more. Lifeline was curled up against her chest fast asleep with a content smile on her lips all while underneath an IMC blanket that the two of them where evidently sharing. Anita had no idea what to do. Dark brown eyes began to trail over Lifeline’s face and features. How her red hair stood out against her cool brown skin, the curve of her cheeks and lips, how her hand was gripping part of the blanket that was over where her shoulder was.

“Lifeline?” she dared to speak. Her voice was hoarse and rough, making her cough from just the single word.

The noise and movement from Anita coughing made Lifeline stir. Anita watched, unable to tear her eyes away as Lifeline woke up. Light hazel eyes looked up into hers and a lopsided smile formed on her lips.

“Morning ‘Nita.”

How did that simple phrase seem to hit Anita right in the chest?

She swallowed the small amount of saliva in her mouth to try and loosen up her vocal cords. “W-why?”

Lifeline’s face became serious. “Ya were dying of hypothermia. This was to help get ya body temperature back up, and well ya a warmer cuddle than the pipes,” she finished with a shrug.

“Why won’t you let me die?” Anita’s last word was choked with a sob as tears began to build up in the corner of her eyes.

“I-”

Tears ran down the side of her face as she began to cry. Now she felt really pathetic. Crying in front of one of her captors, sobbing from the pain wracking her body and the hopelessness that had crushed her spirit. If this was all that was left for her, was more pain until she was finally killed, then she just wanted to skip the pain and die already. Gloved hands brushed away a few of the tears on her cheeks. A low shushing sound coming from Lifeline.

“No body is coming for me,” Anita choked out between her sobs. “They’re all dead…or worse. No communications made it back, and even if they did, they aren’t going to send out a rescue. I’m stranded on a planet surrounded by people who’d kill me without a second thought.”

Lifeline was studying her face. Anita’s eyes went wide as she realized what she just admitted to. She began to hyperventilate, her mind racing, trying to figure out a way to try and spin what she just said as a lie.

“I-I-I…no, that’s...”

“Hey ‘Nita, hey…shhhhhh,” Lifeline grabbed the sides of her face, “deep breaths, in…and out…in…and out…”

Anita followed Lifeline’s breathing instructions, enabling her to delay the panic that was taking over her mind because of her giving up that information. When she had settled down enough, her eyes just turned to look off into the distance. There was no fight left in her, nothing left to try and preserve.

“‘Nita, look at me.”

Anita kept her eyes away.

Lifeline let out a heavy sigh. “This doesn’t have to be the end of ya road.”

Anita scoffed.

“It doesn’t! Anyone can start over here in the Outlands. A whole lot of IMC have done that.”

“I just want my family…”

“There’s ways for ya to get back, but I can’t let ya go until I get the answer to our second question.”

“There’s no guarantee you’ll let me go.”

“Then ya have ya wish of being dead.”

Anita pressed her lips together and closed her mouth for a moment. “The only one I know of is logged as the destination marker for the aircraft. The panel will only activate with my touch.”

“Let’s get ya on ya feet.”

Lifeline turned to the side only to halt, her face turning into one mixed with fear and surprise.

“Caustic?! How long have you been sitting there?”

Anita rotated her head in the same direction, her blood turning to ice upon seeing the gasman stand up from where he was sitting a few meters away and walk over.

“At midnight I went to begin my tests on the prisoner. But she was no longer in her holding cell.” Caustic took a few steps closer, playing with a small gas can. “So I searched around and found the two of you, sharing warmth. At first I intended to intervene, but I decided to sit back and study instead. Sure enough, it looks like your methods finally produced results.” Caustic bent down and grabbed Anita and threw her over his shoulder, still wrapped in the blanket and everything. “Now let’s head to the crash site.”

Anita grunted from how much it hurt to have her broken ribs holding all of her weight.

“I was just about to, we could let her walk,” Lifeline tried.

“No.”

She was going to be sick, or pass out, or both. Being carried to the crash site, jostled around with each step Caustic took, while in the condition she was in was nothing short of torture. It clicked that was probably the reason why the gasman had insisted on carrying her versus allowing her to walk. When they got to the crash site, Anita was unceremoniously dropped onto the ground and swiftly rolled out of the blanket. She laid there in the grass, trying to keep herself from vomiting or passing out.

“What limbs do you need function of in order to access the panel?” Caustic said.

Anita heaved in response, her body trying to throw up the nonexistent food in her stomach. A boot kicked her, but she barely registered it over her dry heaving.

“Move!” Lifeline’s voice could be heard in the distance.

A gentler touch against her neck.

“Ya should have let her walk,” the accented voice scolded. “Body scan.”

For the moment her dry heaving had passed, leaving her there with her eyes barely open and her mind grasping to the edges of what was going on around her.

“Among all other things she’s both dehydrated and starved, her internal organs are not doing well. ‘Nita!”

A hand lightly slapped her face multiple times.

“Stay with me! When was the last time ya ate or drank anything?”

“Your doctor play time can wait,” Caustic stated as his heavy footsteps got closer.

“I’m trying to keep her alive! We are this close to getting what we want and ya are just killing her!”

“I’m not the one who didn’t feed her.”

“She refused and I wasn’t going to force her, but now she needs something or she’ll black out and things will only get more complicated.”

There was some shuffling and the sounds of Velcro being separated. Strong, slender arms turned her over and held her up in a sitting position.

“Hey!” Lifeline waved her hand in front of Anita’s face.

Anita was able to focus on her and the canteen in her hand. Lifeline took a quick drink from it.

“It’s good water, ya need to drink.”

She didn’t have any pride to salvage this time, so when the canteen was put to her lips, Anita began to drink.

“Take it easy, not too much or it will all come back up.”

After a couple more gulps the canteen was pulled away. Anita took a deep breath, already her body felt ten times better by just having that cool substance. It really had been stupid to refuse the water and food earlier. Anita didn’t remember the last time she had ate or drank, it had to have been a day or two before the crash. She tried to lean towards the canteen again, but Lifeline kept it out of reach.

“Five minutes, if ya handle ya water that long then I’ll give ya more.”

The canteen was capped off and stored away in her backpack.

“Five minutes is too long,” Caustic grumbled from where he was hovering over them.

“Ya want her to just throw up all over ya and the console?” Lifeline snapped at him. “We wait.”

Lifeline dragged her over to the side of the aircraft and propped her up there. Half open dark brown eyes watched as the medic grabbed the blanket that had been tossed to the side and proceeded to fold it up into the smallest square possible before stuffing it into her backpack. A small smirk formed on Anita’s lips, Lifeline’s methods were very skillful, almost as good as hers when it came to folding items up into the most compact form possible. For the rest of the five minutes she kept her eyes on Lifeline, simply just watching how she interacted with her drone and how she would pause to appreciate the flower or two that were poking up in the tall, green grass. When the five minutes was up Anita was given another chance to drink from the water bottle. She accepted it gratefully.

“Now,” Lifeline began as she was showed off the plastic package of the item she just pulled from her backpack, “this is something I only use in extreme circumstances,” she unwrapped the brown bar and broke off one of the 2cm squares it was sectioned into. “It’s a compact protein and nutrient square. Doesn’t taste too well, but will keep ya organs from failing until we can get some proper nutrition in ya.”

“Wasting resources,” Caustic commented from the side.

Lifeline shot a glare over her shoulder, then popped the square into Anita’s mouth. The square had a medium chewiness to it much like a protein bar and didn’t taste any worse than the variety of space and military food she had eaten over the years. It definitely was made to pack the most nutrition in a small square with no regards to flavor. When she finished it, she was given another quick gulp of water to wash it down. It was crazy how just that little bit of water and nutrition brought so much strength back into her body.

“Are we finally done with pampering her?” Caustic walked over.

Lifeline rolled her eyes at his impatience. “What do ya need in order to access the panel, ‘Nita?”

“My hands,” Anita stated.

“Does it need to be attached?”

“Yes,” Anita glared at Caustic.

“Any funny business and I will blow your head right off.”

“I didn’t expect anything less.”

Lifeline shifted Anita so she could work on untying her hands. When the binds finally became loose, Anita didn’t even care that a gun was shoved right against the side of her head, she could finally move them. Anita let out a low groan as she shook out her hands and moved her arms around a little bit. Pain raced down her left arm and shoulder from the bullet wounds but she ignored it in favor of regaining her mobility.

“Enough delays, you will get us the coordinates now,” Caustic’s muffled voice demanded through the gasmask.

Standing up and getting into the aircraft took a significant amount of effort. Her body was really worn down and beaten. Broken ribs protested every movement she made. With her legs still securely tied up, she had to rely more on her arms and core. Hopping over the debris to get to the cockpit was another fun challenge of plotting out where the next best spot would be to land and hoping her feeble body could make it. Anita was quite impressed with herself when she did manage to get to the console, even if it left her breathing heavily with waves of pain washing over her and sweat running down the sides of her face. The console was running on backup power, which thankfully there was still some left. She slowly reached out towards the panel.

“I can’t wait to splatter your brains everywhere, up to you if we do it here or not,” Caustic reminded as he pushed the gun harder against the back of her head.

Fingers were carefully set down in the start-up positions. The whole console lit up, showing off multiple cracks all over the acrylic screen. In the corner of her eye she could see Lifeline standing diagonally behind her, also close with her hand hovering over her gun.

“Sergeant First Class Anita Williams, display coordinates for the Supply Cache OL00521 destination,” Anita spoke in a calm authoritative voice.

Colors and symbols danced around on the screen as it processed her order.

“Sergeant Williams, your body has sustained multiple injuries, please seek medical care immediately,” the female AI voice replied.

“I don’t need a check-up! Give me the coordinates to Supply Cache OL00521 and the access codes.”

“I need authorization from superior officer Lieutenant Jackson Williams in order to complete that request.”

Anita closed her eyes and turned her head to the side as she took a deep breath before reopening her eyes and speaking. “Lt. Williams is no longer able to give such order; my command is to be accepted in his stead.”

The console continued to display different readings as it processed the command.

“Understood Sgt. Williams, preparing chip with location and access codes for Supply Cache OL00521.”

A small chip was extended out from a slot next to a number of the ports. Lifeline quickly grabbed it and secured it in one of her pouches.

“I want to see it displayed so we don’t go blindly after what the chip says,” Caustic said, giving her another nudge with his gun.

“Display map and path to the location of Supply Cache OL00521.”

A holographic map popped up, showing a dotted path from their location to where the cache was located inside of a mountain.

“Good, that’s all I need.”

The way he said it made the hairs on the back of Anita’s neck stand up. She swiftly ducked just as he pulled the trigger, shooting the spot where her head had been a moment before. The hologram distorted and blinked where the bullet went through it. Lifeline shoved Caustic to the side, drawing her own gun and pointing it at him.

“Ya don’t get to decide when we kill her!” Lifeline yelled.

“Her use is over, we have the information we need,” Caustic stated simply.

“And ya don’t want to actually see the supply cache before we off her? What if it’s empty?”

“Are you suggesting that there could be more we could extract from her?”

“We aren’t going to find out if she’s dead, now will we?”

Caustic simply raised his gun up and took a step back. Lifeline turned and pointed her gun at Anita.

“Shut down the terminal and put your hands behind your back. We are heading back to our hideout.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will the supply cache actually have stuff in it?


	4. The Supply Cash

Somehow the three of them managed to come to an agreement on holding off killing Anita and taking her with them to the supply cache incase they needed more IMC authorizations to get past any security. The bigger accomplishment was Lifeline getting them to agree to let her use one of the MREs to feed Anita so she didn’t pass out or die. However, Anita wasn’t allowed to be free from her binds, so that left them with Lifeline having to hand feed Anita. A certainly embarrassing ordeal for the highly independent soldier.

Lifeline held up another spoonful that contained a couple of meat cubes and Anita promptly ate them. The shoddy MRE tasted like heaven, a true testament to how hungry she was.

“Would you happen to know what the meat cubes are made of?” Lifeline attempted some form of conversation.

Anita swallowed. “Meat from whatever edible game in on the planet they were manufactured. Most likely some alien reptile.”

Lifeline shrugged as she scooped up some more food and brought it to Anita’s mouth. “It could have been worse.”

“There are worse,” Anita said after the finished the food in her mouth. “Stay away from anything that’s a sausage. Always got the runs from those.”

“Maybe ya privileged IMC digestive system just can’t handle it, ‘Nita,” Lifeline teased as she poked Anita’s stomach.

Anita winced.

When the food was all gone, Lifeline walked off to clean off the tray and put it away. Anita couldn’t help but watch her as she walked away, eyes lingering on her curvy hips. She pulled back upon realizing what she had been focusing on, her face burned and she silently cursed herself for getting distracted.

A few minutes later Lifeline returned with Mirage and Caustic in tow.

“We are heading out for the supply cache and you’re coming with us,” Mirage did a couple of finger guns at Anita. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you, so no funny business otherwise…well you know what we’ll do.”

“And I’m well aware of what you’ll do even if I do cooperate,” Anita retorted.

“Wow! She sure got her bite back, you sure you didn’t feed her too much?” Mirage chuckled as he nudged Lifeline.

The medic rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Welp! Let’s get going! We need to load up the jeep with all of this gear we have here and head out to our new location.”

“It’s going to be a bumpy ride to the location, in her current condition she’ll get sick in the first few minutes, or worse,” Lifeline jerked her thumb in Anita’s direction.

“And?” Caustic shrugged.

“I’m going to heal up her ribs so she can make the ride.”

Mirage and Caustic exchanged a glance. Caustic shrugged.

“I’ll get to test out what works well for breaking them later then.”

Anita just sighed heavily and leaned back against the large pipe she was propped up against.

“Whatever, once you’re done, come help us load up the jeep,” Mirage waved off as he walked away.

Caustic followed Mirage and Lifeline walked over to her, her drone in tow as usual. It shot out its cable striking Anita in the sternum. Anita’s initial reaction was to try and wiggle free from it, only to stop when her broken ribs yelled at her.

“Settle down ‘Nita,” fingers brushed the side of her head, “this time I’m healing ya,” Lifeline winked.

Anita swallowed thickly, she didn’t completely believe that even after watching the whole exchange. Blue lights ran towards her body. Bone by bone she could feel her ribs popping back into place and mending themselves. It felt wonderful to be able to take a deep breath without a huge protest.

“Just about done,” Lifeline commented, her eyes on the screen displaying Anita’s skeletal system. “Three…two…one…zero!” Lifeline waved a finger in the air.

Anita saw the cable turn red. Dark eyes went wide only to snap shut as a strong bolt of electricity shot through her. However, as quickly as it started it ended. Anita opened her eyes a moment later, her whole body tense and trembling slightly.

“Oops,” Lifeline smirked.

There wasn’t a hint of remorse in her eyes. Anita breathed out sharply and glared at her. Even though Lifeline stuck her neck out for and kept her alive, at the end of the day she was one of her captors and would have no issue putting a bullet through her head.

“I’m going to go help the boys out, keep an eye on her,” Lifeline stated as she patted the top of the D.O.C. and walked away.

Surprisingly, they fit all of the supplies from the aircraft in the jeep along with all four of them and the D.O.C. The ride to the supply cache was bumpy, making Anita very grateful for her newly healed ribs, as she was each bump or jolt was felt too easily on all of the other areas she was still injured. Lifeline was behind the wheel, driving in a manner that could either be interpreted as inexperience or too much confidence. Sometimes she hit certain dips and rocks with a little too much speed. Thankfully none of them or the precious supplies went flying out of the jeep. The two-hour drive was over just before the sun was setting. Anita couldn’t be happier to be finally done with that jostling journey and to have her feet planted on the ground. They all agreed to untie her legs in exchange for keeping her on a leash. Anita now had to deal with a rope going from her hands to Mirage’s waist. Shaky legs kept up with Mirage’s leisurely stroll. While it took most of her concentration and strength to keep walking, Anita was still looking all around trying to spot and think of any way she could get out and possibly escape with something that would help her stay alive. They walked up to the entrance and were able to find the keypad to insert the chip and open up the large bay doors. Overhead lights turned on one by one, triggered by the opening of the door. The sight that greeted them made all three of her captors gasp out in awe.

Jeeps, ammunition, food, water, medical supplies, emergency supplies, clothing, guns, fuel, oxygen, technology, enough tools to completely restock a large company of soldiers. Anita pressed her lips together. It would have been more than enough for her to repair the aircraft, set a course back for her home and still leave most of it behind.

“Wow! Now this feels like one hell of a birthday present!” Mirage spoke in awe as he shut the large doors behind them.

“We splitting it three ways ya?” Lifeline stated as she began to go through the medical supplies.

“This yes,” Caustic responded.

“What do ya mean, ‘this’?”

“Caustic and I found the aircraft so we are splitting that in half, but here we can do thirds,” Mirage explained.

“Our original agreement was thirds evenly until we decided to disband our little team set up.”

“Yes, but you didn’t help with the aircraft recovery.”

“Then I’ll take half of what’s here and leave, I am the one who got her to talk and kept her alive. Caustic gets the other half since ya didn’t do shit in finding this,” Lifeline motioned to the supply cache.

“I did help! My leadership kept her alive too.”

At that Lifeline simply raised an eyebrow at Mirage.

“Fine we’ll split 3 ways evenly, on everything.”

“Perhaps we should split based off of effort,” Caustic hummed.

“Look I’m just wanting to sell as much as I can so I can send the money back to my mother and pay my way to the Apex games.”

“And I’m wanting to give supplies to people on the frontier who are dying,” Lifeline shot back. “Maybe ya should start pulling ya weight more.”

Anita watched as Caustic wandered off into the supply cache, probably looking for what chemicals were available. Her eyes wandered to the pallet of weapons not too far from where she was. There would have to be a knife in there somewhere.

“When my skills and specialty are needed, I assure you I will deliver. Next time will be my chance to shine.”

Lifeline shrugged and moved on to another pallet of supplies. “Whatever helps ya. I’m calling in my connections to help them move my third, maybe they will buy ya third off ya.”

Anita crept closer to the pallet, so far only guns locked up in boxes, but there had to be a box opener somewhere lying about in this room.

“We are going to need to move around a lot, I’m going to tie our ‘friend’ up here so she doesn’t slip away,” Mirage stated as he noticed her movements.

“I’ll tie her up, she’ll get out of your knots.”

“Fine,” Mirage raised his hands up in surrender. “I did offer to help.”

Anita sighed heavily. No such luck.

Lifeline hummed as she tied Anita to one of the support I-beams close to one of the walls and far away from any pallets of supplies. At least four passes were made strapping her torso to the I-beam in addition to the passes looped around her bound wrists and the beam.

“Try to stay out of trouble,” Lifeline smiled at she lightly slapped Anita’s check twice.

Anita just pulled away from the touch and sneered.

The medic skipped away. Anita tugged at her binds, hands searching around for any knots. She found one and began picking at it. At least this time she was standing.

For the next couple of hours, she watched as the three of them sorted through each of the pallets dividing up the supplies. In that same time Anita had made very little progress on the knot, but she wasn’t going to give up any time soon. It would take a good number of people to move all of this out of here in a reasonable amount of time. Anita shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Keeping her legs as fresh as possible for when she needed to run was important.

The whir of motors and rush of debris being thrown against the door alerted them to the arrival of a few aircraft. Lifeline checked through the cameras to see who was outside, then proceeded to open up the bay doors. A large gathering of about thirty different people greeted her enthusiastically; several of them exchanging hugs with her even. Anita watched the whole ordeal with a frown on her face. Her time remaining was cut down significantly. Fingers worked harder at the knot, switching between the couple of loops she had been working on. As the people walked in a number of them looked in her direction and began to make comments to one another. Anita did not like where this could go.

The group of people, mostly led by Lifeline and a couple of others, began to direct the rest on what to grab and load up. Anita noticed Mirage and Caustic both speaking to some of the leaders of this group, most likely working out a deal with their shares. There was only so much one could carry around or store away without it getting stolen. Movement out of the corner of her eye alerted her a moment too late of the oncoming fist. An audible crack was heard as the meaty fist connected with her jaw.

“What is this IMC piece of shit doing here?” the man stated, his hands now resting on his hips.

Anita just breathed out harshly through her nose, the irony taste of blood filling her mouth. The second fist was driven hard into her gut, making her grunt.

“Hey I asked you a question!” the man continued.

She ignored him, nothing was going to be gained or lost from talking.

“Gus! Get your ass over here and help with this shit!” A voice called from a distance.

“Fine!” he yelled back. Another solid punch was delivered to her gut. “We ain’t done with you,” Gus stated lowly as he walked off.

Anita sighed heavily, she had just gotten her ribs fixed, they were still a little tender.

Apparently word got around that there was a complimentary IMC punching bag set up for everyone to use. Anyone who walked by her that didn’t have something in their arms would veer off their route just a little so they could hit her. Her face and gut were the popular spots, but several others liked kicking her legs and a couple others decided on painful kicks to the groin. Insults and sometimes spit came standard with each strike. Once the person was done with their pass, they left her with a laugh on their lips. Only a quarter of the supply cache had been loaded up and Anita was already struggling to keep her head up and her eyes open. For once she was grateful for the ropes tied around her as they were the main thing keeping her on her feet.

After another painful set of strikes to her face and torso, Anita was left hanging onto the edges of her conscious and leaning heavily against the ropes around her. Barely open dark brown eyes watched the blood drip from her face onto the concrete floor. Hands were limp in their restraints, no longer attempting to pick at the knots. What was the point? Even if she did get them undone, there would be no way she could make it out of this place in the condition she was in. The next few hits were barely registered; she just kept her focus on the growing puddle of blood beneath her face. A few minutes later a familiar pair of boots and baggy cargo pants came into view along with the cheerful accented voice and the hum of the D.O.C.

“Ay ‘Nita, I told ya to stay out of trouble!”

A hand brushed against her cheek. Anita jerked away from the touch, glaring down at Lifeline.

“Now what’s that look for?” Lifeline folded her arms across her chest.

Anita spat out a glob of blood and spit at her feet. “This was all part of your plan,” she said as she showed off her swollen left half of her face, everyone’s favorite to hit.

Light hazel eyes narrowed. “I’ve been the one trying to keep ya alive, ya ungrateful shit.”

Anita scoffed. “Get off your high horse. You’re keeping me alive for your own sake, not mine.”

Lifeline pulled back and stormed off with a huff, her drone following right behind her as always. Anita almost smiled, it had felt good to say that.

“Listen up all ya!” Lifeline’s voice echoed through the supply cache.

Anita looked around and spotted her standing on top of the nearest pallet of guns. People stopped what they were doing and began to gather around her.

“It has come to my attention that some of ya are taking little detours to ‘visit’ our little IMC friend over here,” she motioned in Anita’s direction with her head.

“My fists can’t get enough of her!” one shouted out.

Several laughs accompanied that comment.

“WHO IS TALKING HERE!?” Lifeline shouted over them.

The room immediately quieted down.

“Sorry Miss Che…” one faint voice was heard.

“We are on a tight schedule here to get all of this out of here before others spot us! No more detours! I catch another person paying a ‘visit’ to our IMC friend and ya will get a sharp reminder of why no one fucks with Ajay Che!” She leveled them all with a glare. “Now get ya asses back to work!”

The crowd dispersed immediately. If Anita weren’t so pissed and done with her situation, she might have been impressed with the authority Lifeline commanded there. Lifeline walked back over to her and looked down at the D.O.C.

“Keep watch over her. Anyone start to give her trouble, ya let me know immediately.”

The drone gave an affirmative beep. It positioned itself in front of Anita and whirled around so it was facing away from her for once. Lifeline gave Anita a look that said “Are you happy now?”. Anita just looked away, bloodied lips set into a deep frown.

From then on out not one of the helpers Ajay had enlisted hit her. While plenty of insults were still thrown away, at least she wasn’t getting physically hurt. Anita began to pick at the knots again, she wasn’t going to give up and it helped to keep her awake when her exhaustion was starting to weigh down her eyelids.

As the morning rays were starting to spill into the supply cache, the last of the items were being loaded into the aircrafts. The jeeps were being driven up to the front, each one loaded up as well. Mirage seemed to be in a very cheerful mood and Caustic looked as he always did. Lifeline was exchanging some words with the leaders of the group of people. Anita watched through her barely open eyes as each of the aircrafts took off as well as all of the jeeps except for the one they had arrived in and one other. Her legs trembled and ached from standing still for hours on end and all she had to show for her efforts was two loops of several undone on just one of the sets of ropes holding her. Anita hung her head. This was it, the end of the line for her.

Mirage, Caustic, and Lifeline walked over to her. The D.O.C. zoomed over to Lifeline’s side where it was rewarded with an affectionate rub across its top.

“Now to tie off this last lose end,” Caustic stated as he pulled out his pistol.

“I’m cool with that,” Mirage shrugged. “Unless you got anything else you’d like to tell us,” he directed at Anita.

She just glared at them.

“It’s settled then,” Caustic raised the gun up.

“I have unfinished business with her,” Lifeline spoke up. “I’ll be taking care of her.”

“What do you mean?” Mirage turned to face the medic.

“I’m going to take her for a little ride, then I’ll meet up with ya at a rendezvous point.”

“That will be wasting resources,” Caustic murmured.

“Like ya are hurting for resources right now after selling off a third of this hull? Ya can dock it from my next contribution if ya want to be such pains in the ass.”

“She’s a lose end that needs to be tied off properly.”

“And who is the best rope tier here?!” Lifeline countered.

“Let’s just go with it, let her play around with the prisoner or do whatever she wants. We should get on the road, the sooner we get to the Apex games, the sooner I can prove just how valuable of a teammate I am,” Mirage cut in.

Caustic grumbled and walked away. Anita watched the whole exchange very carefully, she had no idea what this meant for her, but she wasn’t about to get her hopes up. Lifeline and Mirage agreed to a rendezvous point and soon it was just the two of them and the D.O.C in the empty supply cache. Lifeline walked up to Anita.

“Finally, didn’t think I’d ever get them off my case. They better be well worth the trouble in the games or I’m going to be pissed.” Lifeline put a hand under Anita’s chin and lifted her head up so they were looking at each other. “Makes me wonder how good of a teammate you could be ‘Nita. They say the IMC trains their people to be the best.” A light laugh punctuated the sentence.

Anita was simply confused. What were these games she kept on hearing about?

“Well never mind that, time to get you moving.”

The hand holding her chin slid down her neck and across her shoulders, sending a shiver down her spine. Bit by bit Anita could feel the rope being untied. She tried to catch herself when they became lose, but all that she managed to do was not have her face smack onto the concrete.

“Can ya walk?” Lifeline chuckled.

With some help from the drone, Lifeline was able to get Anita into the jeep. She lay there in the back seat with her hands and feet tied up once again. Two more ties attached her to the jeep to make sure she didn’t try to jump out on purpose or accident. Anita endured the bumpy ride as best as she could, only throwing up after an hour and a half. Finally, they came to a stop and Lifeline untied her from the jeep. As the medic helped her out of the jeep, she was surprised to see her aircraft wreckage in front of her.

“What?” the hoarse word escaped her mouth as they made their way over to it.

“No questions, get on your knees,” Lifeline poked her from behind with her gun.

Anita fell to her knees in the grass next to the side of the aircraft. She could feel the nozzle of the gun pressed against the back of her skull. If Lifeline’s whole goal was to kill her, why did she bother driving all the way out here? Anita never got the answer to her question as the back of her head was struck with the butt of a gun. She fell face first into the grass as her world went dark.

Lifeline sighed as she finished untying Anita completely. She moved the woman’s arms and legs to more natural positions so when she woke up she wouldn’t be as sore. Eyes lingered on the hard lines of her body, especially her sharp jaw, and the curve of her lips. Lifeline rolled up the rope and put half back in her bag, while the other half was placed underneath Anita’s hand.

“Maybe we will get a second chance. I would have liked to meet ya in a better situation. It’s up to ya now ‘Nita.”

Lifeline leaned down and pressed a kiss against the unconscious woman’s cheek.

“I hope we do,” she whispered in her ear.

Fingers played with the buzzcut sides of Anita’s hair one more time before Lifeline stood up and headed for her jeep.

“C’mon now, we got the games to win,” she said to her D.O.C.

The drone beeped excitedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for enjoying it!


	5. Fight to Survive, Fight to Win

Hands landed harshly on the console’s cracked screen. Fingers struggling to move to the correct positions. The screen finally lit up, colorful lights dancing about.

“Sergeant First Class Anita Williams,” the weak, raspy voice managed to get out.

“Sergeant Williams, your body has sustained multiple injuries, please seek medical care immediately,” the female AI voice replied.

“I fucking know…” Anita breathed out from where she was kneeled on the debris ridden floor. “Check all supply locations on the craft, report all inventory levels.”

She leaned back against the pilot seat as the screen began to list off all the various areas supplies had been stored on the craft and how much was inside. So far nothing but zeros or unknowns, as the sensors had been damaged too much to be able to tell, were showing up.

“Check complete. Sergeant Williams, please seek urgent medical attention.”

Anita waved the command off and continued to stare at the list. What was even the point of her waking up when this was all she had? A broken, starved, and dehydrated body, a broken, and picked dry aircraft, and not a single ally for millions of miles. Eyes wandered down to the rope now tied around her waist. Lifeline hadn’t done her a favor by leaving her alive. Yet, despite everything she had been through these past few weeks, she was still here. And despite how much Anita wanted to just lie there in the grass until she did die, she was too stubborn to do that. So now she was here, grasping at straws, trying to make the best of what she had. The unknowns could have been missed; she could start by checking those. All she needed was something, anything. There were five spots. Five chances at survival.

Anita began to crawl towards the first one, it supposedly contained water and food rations. It took several minutes to get there only to see that the area had been hit by some large debris and that the cover had been forcefully opened. Inside were empty, broken water sacs, and insects crawling all over the crushed ration bars that were left. Anita pressed her lips into a line as she watched them crawl about. Insects were a valuable source of protein. However, it was possible that the insects could be poisonous. Alien life was often very different on each planet. She wouldn’t do herself any favors by making herself sick. Gloved hands brushed off the insects from a few of the opened ration bars. She picked through the crumbs in each one, getting about two mouthfuls of food. Something was better than nothing. While she sat there the insects gave her an idea. She crawled back to the console.

“Are there any stores of information on the various plant and wildlife of this planet?”

“Indeed there is, what would you like to look up?”

Eyes glanced to the grass outside.

“Let’s start with plant life, specifically all of the ones that are safe for humans to eat.”

The console’s lights flickered off for a moment and then resumed the task it had been assigned. Eyebrows were knitted together, of course, the backup power to the console was only going to last for so long.

Two hours later Anita sat there in the dark staring past the console and out the shattered windows of the cockpit. The power had barely lasted an hour, but in that time she was able to get basic information on some of the plants and insects. There was also the matter of all the damaged goods that had been left behind. Perhaps she could scrap enough parts together to make a working gun. Even if there wasn’t any ammunition, she didn’t need any, just the presence of the item alone would help. Anita crawled to the side of the ship, broke off several pieces of grass and shoved them in her mouth. If the grass was green, it meant it either rained often or there was a water source nearby.

Baggy cargo pants with mud, blood, and dirt smeared all over them plopped into one of the chairs protruding from the inside of the drop ship that picked them up. Lifeline couldn’t help the smile that formed on her face as she finally got a chance to relax for the first time in a couple of days.

“Champions again!” Mirage cheered as he sat down in one of the seats across from Lifeline and put up his feet. “That’s what? Two out of three now? The odds are only going to go up I tell you!”

“Ya lucky we got paired together this time, I patched ya up at least three different times this game.”

Mirage shrugged. “Who knew we couldn’t pick our own teams? Poor Caustic has gotten the short end of the squad a couple of times.” Mirage glanced to their third teammate, Bloodhound, and did a couple of finger guns in their direction. “You did pretty well though, glad you were with us.”

“Victory was destined from the beginning,” Bloodhound simply replied as they sat down.

Lifeline shrugged. “It would be too easy to get to pick ya team. This keeps things interesting.”

“So we all meeting up after the awards ceremony tonight?” Mirage looked back and forth between the two of them.

“Maybe, but I’ve got some friends to meet up with first,” Lifeline stated as she began to look over her drone, inspecting some of the damage that had been done to it.

“You?” Mirage pointed to Bloodhound.

“If it pleases the Allfather.”

“I will take that as a yes!” Mirage grinned.

The awards ceremony was much like the other three Lifeline had been to, having placed in the top three squads each time she had participated in the game. So far the system had favored putting her and Mirage on the same team for two of them, and she didn’t mind, she got a decent amount of earnings for the championship wins they got. Second and third places still got some money, but not nearly as much.

It all began with the usual red carpet walk out with reporters and photographers lined on each side. Lifeline would take a casual stroll down in one of her nicer outfits, waving at her fans and posing for a few photos. Mirage always came in last, putting on some sort of show with his holo-pilot technology. The crowd and the reporters always loved that. Once everyone was inside there was a dinner of sorts, time for all of the sponsors and upper class to flock around the recent champions and pepper them with boring conversation. They were the gladiators of this new age game and they were the rich spectators. Seats at the tables were assigned, Lifeline always had a business contact of her parents’ at her table. She never spoke to them and if they were insistent, she’d start telling stories about the various ways she had killed people in the games. That generally got them to shut up and leave her alone. Finally, after all of the food had been consumed and plenty of alcohol poured, the awards would start. Acceptance speeches would be given, medals and monetary prizes distributed to the top three squads, and then Lifeline would be free to leave.

“Ajay!” a familiar older man smiled as she ran up and briefly hugged him. “You were amazing this round!”

“As always, I promised to deliver and I did. How are things?”

“We have almost used up that haul from the IMC supply cache, but your winnings have been keeping us strong. The Frontier Corps can’t thank you enough.”

“Happy to help. Any deployments ya got for me?”

“Not right now, you need to get your rest. The next games are in only a couple of months,” he smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

“Plenty of time for me to help then.”

He laughed, “Alright, in a week I’ll send you the details.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Lifeline grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We at the Apex Games now >:]
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Triple Tap

Two months went by pretty fast. From her small break, to going on three different rescue expeditions, and training for the games, Lifeline kept a busy schedule. As she dodged the next bullet that nearly found its mark on her forehead and slid on the grass behind a large rock, Lifeline was slightly regretting not getting a ton of rest beforehand. Bullets chipped away at the sides of her rock covering. She glanced to the side at Caustic, her remaining squad member, he was working to get one of his gas traps prepped to be deployed. Several bullets had found their mark through his body armor they had picked up, no doubt that was making things a little harder for him. Her own armor had seen much better days. Lifeline would normally set out her D.O.C. to help patch them up in a time like this, but they were being pursued right now and she didn’t want to get in a situation where she would have to leave her trusted companion behind. That had happened once, and luckily, she was able to come right back and kill the person before they got any ideas in regards to her drone.

Only three squads remained in the games, one squad that had just been knocked down to two, Caustic and her, and a lone wolf that had just made the most recent kill only minutes ago. They had both seen it from a distance, an unlikely combination of the useless P2020 and the effective Peacekeeper wielded by a games participant that still had a helmet and body armor in good condition. The other participant barely got the chance to fire off a couple of shots before they were “killed”. Their squad members seemed to be nowhere near them so Caustic had tried to push forward to come in and take the lone wolf by surprise. However, he was rewarded with a bunch of bullets instead. Lifeline had been the one to call the shot of retreating and setting up a trap. Her long-range rifle was out of ammo and the opponent had already started running in their direction. If they got close enough, that peacekeeper would do some serious damage. Not to mention if the other squad swooped back in, that would make for a very stiff fight. Unfortunately for them, the games participant’s scrawny looking chicken legs were much faster than they had anticipated. Any head start they had was lost quickly as they made a dash for the rock covering. The bullets stopped pelting the rock for a moment and instead were directed elsewhere.

“Are ya ready yet?!” Lifeline impatiently demanded from Caustic.

“Do you wish to be breathing in the gas instead?”

“I’ll hold my fucking breath!”

He tinkered around for a few more precious seconds. The nearby gunfire ceased and the tally on their wrist devices informed them of the drop in squads. Two squads remained. It was either two others or the chicken legs. Lifeline wasn’t sure which one to hope it to be. If it was the other two, they might revive their third teammate. They didn’t have time to wait for that to happen.

“Now or never!” Lifeline shouted out

“Time to end this.”

Lifeline checked her corner, holding her alternator SMG up. The coast appeared to be clear. She motioned to Caustic and he ran out to set up his trap. Eyes continued to scan around, looking for either their chicken legged friend or the other squad. Ears caught the sound of rapid footfalls coming from behind her a moment too late. Lifeline whirled around and fired her alternator SMG. Chicken legs seemed to anticipate that as only a couple hit their mark before returning fire cut through her shooting arm. Lifeline tried to hold on, but three more bullets to her torso and her knees were giving out on her. A hard kick to the sternum forced her onto her back. Before she could sit back up and attempt to fire again, the gun was kicked out of her hands and a boot stomped on her stomach, knocking all of the wind out of her. Caustic stepped away from his prepped device and opened fire on her attacker, charging in their direction. Lifeline tried to shout out and warn him of the shotgun, but she had no air to make a sound with. She saw it all as if it happened in slow motion, as Caustic continued to run forwards, Chicken legs lifted their peacekeeper up and blasted most of his head off. His limp body fell to the ground. Lifeline winced. That must have hurt. Per usual, the lethal wound immediately began to seal back up and a containing box formed around him. Each games player gets a wrist device at the beginning of the event that contains a high revive solution and an instant casket. When a player’s vitals reach a certain point, the solution is injected and the casket springs up around them. This allows for a person to still survive, while having been “killed” in the games.

The hot barrel of the peacekeeper was shoved in her face, burning her cheek. Lifeline wasn’t about to let her current situation deter her from claiming that victory. She swiftly pulled out one of her knives and stabbed the leg holding her down in the calf, a sweet lesson on the topic of “Hesitation will only get you killed”. An angry exclamation was let out followed by a blast with the shotgun to that arm. Her arm was thrown back at an awkward angle from the blast followed by a raspy breath in that resulted in her coughing up blood. Several of the shotgun pellets had cut through her chest creating openings for the blood to fill up her lungs. The bleeding leg stomped down on her stomach even harder, sending a gurgle and spray of blood into the air. Lifeline tried to lift any of her limbs, but everything felt too heavy. She looked up to see the masked person staring down at her, the peacekeeper once again pushed against her face, worsening the third degree burn on her cheek. This was going to hurt, she knew that much, so why was this person taking so damn long to finish her off? Were they just going to let her bleed to death?

A gloved hand reached up and removed the helmet, throwing it off to the side. Lifeline’s eyes widened and her bloodstained lips turned upwards slightly. Brown skin, an angular jaw, buzzcut sides, a mess of black, curly hair on top, and a pair of murderous, dark brown eyes boring right into her own.

“Ay ‘Nita,” Lifeline coughed out.

Lips were pulled into a snarl as her finger pulled the trigger, dousing Lifeline’s world in darkness.


	7. The Unfavored Champion

High pitched ringing greeted her first, then blurred images of lights that were far too bright. Next came a gasping breath followed by violent coughing. Her secured limbs involuntarily thrashed against the binds. Hands pressed down, holding her still. She could feel the tools picking away at her, removing foreign objects and then healing those spots up. Bit by bit it got easier to breathe. This was by far her least favorite part of the Apex games, dying for a moment, and then getting brought back through a very callous and procedural method. Through her clearing vision she searched the room, trying to piece together her surroundings. Several operating tables had cloths over the bodies. The revival method wasn’t 100% perfect, many still died each game. Especially those who got bad enough injuries or had been killed multiple times. The body can only handle so much. To Lifeline’s right she saw Caustic laying there with bandages wrapped around his head. It looked like he was stable and on his way to recovery. Lifeline turned her head to the other side and saw a cloth draped over their other teammate.

“Ms. Che, please stop moving, we need to get the rest of these pellets out of you,” one of the medical staff working on her spoke up.

Lifeline silently complied, shifting her gaze to the ceiling and relaxing. It would be a bit before she would be allowed to get up and satisfy the curiosity that was eating away at her, she wanted to make sure what she saw was really what happened.

Four hours later Lifeline was testing out her newly healed limbs and popping a few of her stiff joints. Caustic was long gone, having been cleared for release. The body of their dead teammate had been carted off before that. She anxiously stretched as she waited for the doctor to return and finally give her the clear to leave. After a few more stretches and a backflip to test everything out, the door finally opened and the over-worked doctor speed walked in.

“Once we do another body scan and everything comes out fine, you’ll be clear to go,” they said.

“Aw come on, ya can tell I’m as fit as a fiddle. Let’s just say we did and don’t so I can get out of here. Got a dinner party to get ready for.”

“Normally yes,” the doctor looked up from their data pad, “But considering how you almost didn’t revive, we are doing the final body scan.”

Now that wasn’t expected. She’d been shot by a shotgun multiple times, never once had they been super worried about it.

“What do ya mean?”

“Most of your upper torso was badly damaged, almost too much for the revive solution to keep you alive until we got to you.”

“One shot ain’t that much to worry about,” Lifeline shrugged.

“You were shot three times.”

“What?!” That made everything halt for a moment. Three was unnecessary, it would have only taken the one. “Show me.”

The doctor sighed and wiped their finger over the data pad, searching and locating a video clip from the news station that broadcasted the games. First thing that caught Lifeline’s attention was that her memory did serve her right, Sergeant First Class Anita Williams had survived and had made it to the Apex Games of all things. The second was how Anita fired three rapid shots at near point blank into her chest, all while with that slightly unhinged look in her eyes.

“Guess she might be a little sore towards me,” Lifeline spoke aloud to herself and shrugged.

The doctor raised an eyebrow at her.

“Heat of the moment, she probably wanted to make sure I didn’t stab her in the calf again.” Eyes drifted to the headlines around the video.

“Newcomer Bangalore Becomes the Latest Champion in the Apex Games!”

“So that’s what she’s calling herself now,” Lifeline smirked.

“Can we please take care of the body scan now?” the doctor sighed.

“Sure can, just curious about what I missed out on,” Lifeline waved off as she held still.

As the doctor pulled out the handheld device and scanned her, Lifeline couldn’t help but look forward to the awards ceremony that night. For once there would be someone there worth talking to. That is if Anita would even let her get close enough to.

Lifeline walked slowly behind Caustic on the red carpet leading to the event center. Eyes casually glancing behind her, wondering when the new champion and her squad were going to show up. Finally, the other limo drove up, signaling the arrival of the person Lifeline had been dying to see. The cameras moved and focused on the woman stepping out and standing tall. Lifeline had to raise an eyebrow at Anita’s attire, it literally was the same thing she had been wearing in the games. Well at least it was clean and not covered with blood and dirt. Lifeline continued her walk forward, almost to the entrance, while keeping Anita in the corner of her eye. As Anita began to make her way down, much to Lifeline’s surprise, the crowd packed around the event center began to boo and jeer.

“Fuck off you IMC shit!”

“Get outta here!”

“IMC couldn’t be happy with taking our land, now our champions!”

This was a very unusual reception for the newly crowned champion. Lifeline had wondered if Anita’s real identity had been made known or not, and that answered her question. It was hard for people to forgive anything or anyone related to the IMC, and for good reason. Anita marched forward, not responding or even glancing towards those that were insulting her. Light hazel eyes looked around to see who Anita’s squad mates were, only for their absence to help her put two and two together. They hadn’t made it. Seems like Anita’s reputation with her allies survival rate was still going strong. Lifeline entered the building, still keeping her even pace. As she could hear the rapid footsteps, she glanced to the side just as Anita was passing her. For a second, things slowed down as Anita strode past her. Lifeline watched as the dark eye on her side shifted to look at her and for Anita’s lips to twitch into a snarl for a split second before falling back into a pissed frown. A breathy laugh was let out as Lifeline watched Anita march on into the main room for the awards ceremony.

It was by far the most interesting awards ceremony Lifeline had yet to attend. Not because of any adjustments to the typical schedule, but because Anita was extremely entertaining to watch. How she would bristle when those at her table asked questions, how she just stared at the appetizers for a few seconds, how she ate everything super slowly as if she was savoring the flavors, how that pissed expression on her face didn’t seem to waver for a second. Multiple times Lifeline’s attention had to be brought back to her own table so she could interact with her very well off “fans” of hers. If they were real “fans” of hers, they’d donate the vast majority of their wealth to helping rebuild decaying infrastructure and saving lives.

Being awarded the second-place medal was fairly disappointing. Lifeline didn’t like losing and they shouldn’t have lost that match. Caustic should have stayed back by his gas trap and attacked from long-range, but he had rushed in. Then again, she could have taken the time to look for more ammo for her long-range rifle. Regardless, in the next games Lifeline was sure to be more prepared for when she crossed guns with Anita. The only perk about not winning was seeing Anita standing tall with a cocky smirk on her lips as she was awarded the champion medal. Lifeline swallowed and reached for her glass of water. It lasted for a brief moment before Anita’s usual pissed expression was back on as she walked back to her table. The lack of applause and cheers for the champion was felt, Lifeline’s reception for the second place medal was at least twice as loud. With the dinner and awards ceremony over, people were finally free to wander around, talk, and drink to their hearts content. While this was typically when Lifeline would slip away, she caught Anita heading out towards a balcony unaccompanied. A mischievous smile played on her lips as she excused herself and headed in the same direction. Anita was looking over the balcony down at the city below with her back towards Lifeline. As soon as her heels clicked on the stone floor of the balcony, Anita visibly tensed up and swiftly glanced over her shoulder.

“Aren’t ya supposed to wear ya best for this kind of event, ‘Nita? Especially with being the champion and all,” Lifeline smirked as she took a few steps closer.

Anita turned around to face her, in a defensive stance nonetheless, it took all of Lifeline’s willpower to not point that out. Then again, Anita did have reason to be on her guard around her all things considered.

“That’s the same thing ya were wearing in the games,” Lifeline motioned to Anita’s outfit, a stark contrast to the red, halter-top, flowing dress Lifeline was wearing.

“It’s the best thing I have to wear,” Anita scowled.

“Ya mean the only thing ya have to wear? Whatever happened to that other outfit? It looked good on ya, better than this tan skirt atrocity.” A casual sip was taken from her drink as she let her eyes travel up Anita’s outfit.

Anita folded her arms across her chest. “It’s a tunic and my other outfit isn’t in the best condition.”

“Not too many people fond of seeing the IMC uniform I take it?” Lifeline chuckled.

Dark eyes narrowed. “Why are you talking to me?”

“Why are ya responding ‘Nita?”

“I asked first,” Anita said through gritted teeth.

Lifeline took a few steps closer and took another sip from her drink. “Just wanting to check-up on ya, it was quite surprising to find ya here of all places.”

“The prize money is my way back home.”

“Oh?” An eyebrow was raised up. “Then why aren’t ya already on a ship out of here? Ya got the champion’s pot after all.”

“It’s enough to end up in the gutter on some random planet, I’m not so eager to go through all that again.”

Lifeline couldn’t help the smirk that slipped onto her lips at the “again”. “Ay now, I didn’t throw ya in a gutter.”

“You did everything but,” Anita glared at her.

“I kept ya alive, ‘Nita.”

“Why did you?”

Lifeline chuckled and looked down at her drink as her hand swirled the amber liquid and ice cubes around in the crystal cup. “Curiosity,” she eventually stated.

Anita raised an eyebrow.

“To see what ya’d do.” Lifeline looked Anita in the eye as she took a sip from her drink. “I can’t say I wasn’t glad to see ya again. And it seems ya didn’t mind seeing me either ‘Nita. Got to let out some pent-up revenge right?”

“I’ll gladly do it again,” Anita almost growled. A slight smirk formed on her lips. “In fact, I can’t wait to do it again in the next games, Ajay.”

“Ya remembered?”

“I did a little digging of my own,” Anita shrugged. “Not hard to find information about you, or your family.”

Lifeline took another step closer, about half the distance away from Anita. “I’m a two-time Apex Games champion, everyone wants to know about their favorites. They will be coming for ya.”

“They ain’t getting anything they don’t already know.”

A smirk formed on Lifeline’s lips at the statement. She liked the cold steel look in Anita’s eyes, reminded her of the many times she got to stare in those as the light faded from them.

“Well, I look forward to when we meet up again in the games,” Lifeline turned and headed back towards the main room. She paused to look over her shoulder. “I’ll enjoy getting to watch the light fade from ya eyes again.”

As much as she wanted to see Anita’s reaction, she kept on walking with a smile on her face and a slight skip to her step. This most certainly was her favorite awards ceremony by far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the reveal of the Viceroy skin for Bangalore, the chicken legs classification is debatable.


	8. Close Proximity

In the days and weeks that followed the awards ceremony, Lifeline kept her eye out for Bangalore, it was weird calling Anita that, but that’s how everyone knew her now. Seeing the new champion always brought a bit of entertainment to her life. If it wasn’t watching her disassemble and reassemble rifles at the shooting range and blasting out the center of the targets, Bangalore could often be found at some of the taverns usually trying to eat a meal in peace. However, that typically got interrupted with a bar fight that the woman always won. People just couldn’t leave the fact alone that she was IMC and wanted to take it out on her at every chance they got. Though it seemed people were slowly getting the message that if they picked a fight with her, they would be going home with a few broken bones and lacerations. The frequency of these fights were decreasing little by little.

Lifeline leaned back against the bar as she sat on one of the stools, enjoying the fight playing out before her. Bangalore was on the floor with a man’s arm trapped between her legs. She leaned back and pushed her hips high, effectively breaking his arm as he struggled and failed to escape her hold. He cried out in agony and rage. Bangalore then proceeded to move back to the mount position and beat him until he was unconscious. Satisfied he was out for the count, Bangalore stood up and scanned the now mostly empty bar for any remaining attackers. Blood dripped from her busted lips and obviously broken nose. Aside from that and a few hits to her torso, she came out of this fight with only a few injuries. The blood on her gloved knuckles all came from the four patrons that had decided to try and attack her. The bartender to the side of Lifeline sighed heavily. Bangalore walked up to the bartender, pointedly ignoring Lifeline as usual.

“Put the clean-up bill on my tab, but the idiots on the floor can pay for the damage they did,” came her nasally voice.

“This is the fourth time,” the bartender grumbled. “You’re not welcome here anymore.”

“Piss off, I don’t ask for them to come after me.”

“The IMC destroyed most of my hometown, I should have never let you in in the first place.”

“Fine, that’s not the first time I’ve heard that, won’t be the fucking last,” Bangalore grumbled as she headed back to the booth she had been eating in.

Lifeline watched as the woman shoveled the last of the vegetables on her plate into her mouth, and used a napkin to grab the remainder of her lizard steak. No attempts were made to wipe the blood still running from her broken nose. Bangalore strode out of the bar with her head held high and obviously chewing all of the food in her mouth.

“Not worth it,” the bartender mumbled as they pulled out another towel and began to clean up some of the blood that had gotten on the bar.

“At this rate she might be out of places to eat by the end of the year,” Lifeline laughed as she speared a couple of her grilled vegetables with her knife.

“That’s if she’s still alive by then. Several bets have already been placed about her getting offed in the next games for good.”

“We will know in two weeks,” Lifeline shrugged as she took a bite from one of the vegetables. “Who ya rooting for in the next games?”

“You of course, and maybe Pathfinder, that robot is hilarious.”

“I count myself lucky then, that means I’m in no danger of getting thrown out of ya bar?”

“You? Of course not!”

“Even with my family connections?” Lifeline raised a challenging eyebrow.

“Hey, we know you weren’t a part of all that profiteering.”

“Just like Bangalore wasn’t part of the units that destroyed ya hometown.”

The bartender shut their mouth quickly. “That’s different, she literally is an IMC soldier, she may not have done it personally, but she sure as hell supported all of it. I don’t care if she gets used as a scapegoat.”

Lifeline shrugged and sipped on her drink.

“What do you care about her anyway?”

Lifeline shrugged again. “Would ya still root for me if she ended up on my team?”

The bartender frowned “I’d still root for you.” They then moved on with cleaning up their bar.

Lifeline continued eating her meal. One by one each of the four attackers woke up and quickly left the bar, not making an attempt to pay for any of the damage they had done. In the end Lifeline decided to pay for it. This was one of her more favorite places to eat and grab a drink and she didn’t want it slowly getting worn down to be like a number of the other dirtier bars in the city. Before leaving Lifeline glanced over to the empty plate and partial drink still left from Bangalore’s meal. She toyed with an idea in her mind as she eyed the drink, but decided against it. It was never safe to drink a beverage that had been sitting out in the open unattended. Lifeline left the bar with a friendly wave to the bartender and the fans of hers that called out her name.

Bangalore breathed out slowly, then pulled the trigger on the charge rifle she was practicing with. The hot stream of energy burst out and burned through the dummy’s head. The finger relaxed from the trigger and a slight smirk formed on Bangalore’s lips. This wasn’t a weapon she had gotten to use as often as others, but her marksmanship would lead one to think otherwise. She set herself back up for another shot at a farther dummy only for her nose to accidentally brush up against the stock of the gun. The fresh stinging pain of the still broken nose made her pull back and wince. Bangalore had thought about getting it healed like usual, but considering it would only be a couple of days before someone else broke it, she decided to save her money for once. The cost of paying for clean up in all of the bars was eating away at her prize money far quicker than she liked. Bangalore settled back in again against the charge rifle, taking aim at the next dummy. Her first blast seared off an arm instead of hitting it in the head. The second blast got the center of the chest, and finally the third hit the intended mark. With a frown Bangalore pulled back and lowered the charge rifle.

“Whew! Hard there for a second to tell where ya were aiming!” the familiar, annoying, accented voice came from the side.

Bangalore simply reloaded her rifle, ignoring Lifeline standing off to her side.

“Perhaps a closer target would help?” Lifeline continued with a tease.

“If they put your image over the dummy I’d have no problem hitting dead center each time,” Bangalore simply returned as she checked down range through her scope for another target of a similar distance.

“Not a bad idea, let people choose which games participant they wanted to shoot at. Ya would finally be popular!”

Bangalore snarled. Another dummy was located and Bangalore prepared for the next shot. Two blasts and she got the headshot she wanted.

Lifeline whistled lowly. “The visualization of me must have helped. I should try that. Wouldn’t mind seeing a few more of ya charming face out there.”

Bangalore turned and faced Lifeline, her expression both angry and confused. “What is your deal?”

“What?” Lifeline tossed back innocently.

“You! Why won’t you leave me alone? You’re always somewhere nearby me!”

Lifeline swayed her hips back and forth as she took a couple of steps closer to Bangalore, “Ya mean seeing me at the Apex training grounds where everyone else is? Or going to the closest bars and taverns to the training grounds? Is that it?”

Bangalore opened her mouth and shut it.

“Maybe ya just can’t help but notice me, ‘Nita.”

“I-…that’s…that’s not-” Bangalore stuttered, her cheeks darkening.

Lifeline raised an eyebrow at her.

“It’s unwise to not keep an eye on your enemy.”

“Well,” she took a few more steps closer, “keep ya eyes on me all ya like, I’ll be doing the same,” Lifeline finished with a wink.

Bangalore’s face only got darker before she huffed and focused her attention downrange. Lifeline smirked and walked back over to where all of the types of guns were hanging and picked a flatline out for herself.

The final two weeks until the games came quickly and before she knew it, Bangalore was getting her initial check up and getting prepped for the dropship. Her broken nose was finally healed up into perfect condition, it had in fact gotten broken two more times in those two weeks. She was thankful that she didn’t waste the money on getting it fixed those other times. All sixty of the games participants were loaded up, some of the longer time players going to their personalized areas while others mingled about in the main hanger. Bangalore kept to herself off to the side. Dark eyes caught the pink buns of hair bouncing up and down as Lifeline danced to the beat coming from her headphones. Bangalore looked away and steadied herself against the wall as the dropship hit some turbulence. Several FNGs stumbled around and fell to the ground. A smirk formed on round lips, those would be some of the first to go once they touched down. As they got closer, the screens came down from the ceiling and lit up with the team selections. Bangalore kept on scanning for her face and platform to jump off from. Dark down eyes widened when she finally did see herself and who her teammates were.

“Motherfucker…” she muttered.

“Looks like we gotta play nice this round,” Lifeline smirked as she stepped up next to Bangalore on the platform and nudged her in the side.

_“This is your champion.”_

All of the screens changed to show off Bangalore’s gold framed banner with her teammates on either side.

Bangalore slowly turned and glared down at her. “I’m here to win, and keeping my teammates alive helps the odds for winning. I’m not playing nice for any other reason.”

“I’ll be sure to remind ya of that when I’m healing ya up,” Lifeline tossed back.

Deep laughter rumbled behind them as Gibraltar stepped onto the platform between them just as it began to lower.

“Let’s work together now, our team is sure to take the championship together!” He said as he put an arm around each of them and pulled them in for a quick hug.

Bangalore moved out of the hold and began to scan the arena down below.

“That looks like a good LZ!” she pointed out a series of buildings.

“Too many people think it’s a good LZ, we dropping elsewhere!” Lifeline shot back as she looked around. “There!”

Before Bangalore could protest Gibraltar shoved her off the platform and jumped with Lifeline, laughing the whole time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see how well they get along, their squad depends on it.


	9. Working Together

They touched down in a murky swamp that had a series of wooden structures built up on raised platforms. Bangalore made sure to veer a bit off course from her two teammates and land perfectly in front of a door. She quickly opened it and closed it behind her. Only a couple of useful items were found on the first floor, and the second floor didn’t fare much better, but she at least had some armor and a gun. Eyes caught sight of a set of optics for a style of gun she didn’t have.

“Optics here, sniper, level 2, good for engagement in long range shots,” Bangalore spoke into their team intercom.

Nothing was said in return. Bangalore moved onto the next partially destroyed shack, keeping her eyes and ears peeled for any other games participants aside from her teammates. She couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at her lips when she saw the squad count drop by 1.

“First blood, FNGs always go first.”

One thing Lifeline hadn’t anticipated at all was how chatty Bangalore was. At least about guns, movements through the arena, and every little thing she seemed to spot. Several times Lifeline just wanted to shout back through the intercom and tell Bangalore to fucking shut up and that she didn’t need the properties of a R-99 explained to her once again. For how quiet Bangalore was while Lifeline was interrogating her in comparison to now, Lifeline wondered if it would have been easier if they just started talking about guns. Another reason Lifeline had yet to tell her to shut up was that if Lifeline was being honest, she enjoyed hearing that deeper, confident, slightly husky voice talking in her ear. But she would die first before ever admitting that out loud. Talking with Gibraltar was always a nice change of pace, he was very encouraging and friendly to the both of him. If he kept it up, he might actually get on Bangalore’s good side.

The first day went by without too many incidents. They had run into another squad, but Bangalore quickly took out two of them and Lifeline and Gibraltar were left scrambling for the last one. Smug was just one word to describe Bangalore’s expression as she not so discreetly showed off her stats. A few kilometers away from where they slaughtered the other squad, they found a spot that was well within the ring and would serve as a good hiding place for them as they rested for the night.

“We’ll rotate who is out on watch every three hours,” Gibraltar said as he sat down on a storage bin.

“I’ll go first,” Bangalore stated.

“We were going to draw straws,” Lifeline held up the sticks she had in her hand.

“Now you don’t,” she shrugged as she headed to one of the vantage points.

Lifeline left out a heavy sigh as she let herself fall back into the floor. She exchanged a look and a shrug with Gibraltar.

“I’ll take the second watch, ya get ya rest big guy.”

“I won’t argue with that. Wake me up if someone appears.”

“Will do.”

Lifeline set an alarm on her watch and found a softer spot to curl up with her warm D.O.C. She glanced over to where Bangalore was crouched by a barred window through partially open eyes. A small smirk formed on her lips as her eyes closed the rest of the way.

Gunfire woke both of them up before Lifeline’s alarm went off. Both of them pulled out their weapons and took up defensive positions. It was hard to see any movement outside with how dark it was, but Bangalore seemed to have sights on something as she kept on firing and the sound of returning bullets could be heard pinging off the metal walls. One of the ones ricocheting off the walls nearly sunk into Gibraltar’s leg. Lifeline eyed the door off to the side and crept towards it. Bangalore would keep them busy, while she could get close and finish them off. Gibraltar almost followed her, but she waved him to stay back. He would be a much easier target to see. She silently slid through the tall greenery covering the short hill. Light hazel eyes scanned about and spotted two figures in one of the lower buildings trading fire with Bangalore, the third was probably on the move, much like she was. Lifeline grabbed one of her thermite grenades and promptly chucked it into the door way that the two of them were huddled by. Fire burst out, lighting up the whole quarter of the small metal building. Lifeline sprinted forward and poured lead through the flames. A second thermite grenade was tossed through the doorway, landing in the back area of the building, hopefully trapping her victims. Strong legs jumped over the dying flames from the first thermite grenade. Bright reds and yellows lit up the two figures struggling to get to their feet. A wild look took over Lifeline’s face as she pulled back the trigger on her assault rifle and riddled their bodies with holes. The numbers on her wrist device jumped up two.

“Brush it off ya lost this one,” she widely grinned as the body boxes formed around the two squad members.

Gunfire could still be heard in the building above, but Lifeline wasn’t worried. If those two couldn’t finish off the last squad member, then she was better off without them. Lifeline raided the death boxes, taking all of the good items that the two had. One could never carry too much ammo. The sounds of combat ceased in time with the number of squads dropping on her wrist device.

“Finished off the whole squad,” came Bangalore’s triumphant statement.

Done with her looting, Lifeline made her way back up to the building. Gibraltar was poking through the remains of the one death box in the room, while Bangalore was pulling out a syringe. Now that was just insulting. Lifeline grabbed her D.O.C. from out of her hip carrier, activated it, and pushed it over towards Bangalore.

“Save ya needles for later.”

Dark brown eyes went wide as soon as Bangalore saw the drone, she promptly kicked it away from her and jumped back. The D.O.C. cried out with a series of distressed beeps.

“Hey!” Lifeline charged forward to protect her drone. “It’s a _health_ drone!”

Bangalore stared at her hard, gun raised, pointed right at the D.O.C. “Could have fooled me with how you like to use it.”

Lifeline couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped past her lips. “Ya damage it again and that’s all it will be doing for ya.”

When nothing else was said and Bangalore just turned away and used her syringe, Lifeline rolled her eyes. Sooner or later Bangalore was going to have to get over her aversion to the drone. Lifeline walked over to her D.O.C. Thankfully, her drone had some robustness to it, only a couple of small cracks to its optics and a couple of dents from Bangalore’s kick. Lifeline pulled out a couple of tools and tightened a screw here and cleaned up a few scuff marks here. Satisfied that her drone was in good condition, she put it back into sleep mode and stored it away in her hip carrier.

“We best get moving,” Gibraltar stated as he walked over to the two of them. “The gunfire drew some attention to our area.”

“Lets find some higher ground, and pick off whoever comes in to scavenge,” Bangalore stated as she headed for the stairs.

“Hopefully your aim gets better, how many rounds did you throw into the dirt tonight?” Lifeline couldn’t help but make a dig at how Bangalore hadn’t finished off those two despite the number of rounds she had let off.

Bangalore’s face twisted into a scowl.

Picking off the full squad that rushed to their area proved to be pointless due to the many areas of cover and the lack of a sniper rifle. While Bangalore and Lifeline both had long range rifles, none that could easy knock down someone before they slipped into cover. The last thing they wanted to do was give up their position so quickly. They pressed on through the night, keeping their high ground and staying out of sight as best as possible. As the sun was rising they found a rock formation that gave them some good cover. While no one would admit it, they all looked very worn down from the lack of rest. Bangalore peered through her scope and crouched down.

“You civvies can take a short nap, I’ll take watch.”

“Ay ya already took watch, it’s my turn,” Lifeline objected. “Ya going to need some rest.”

“This is standard in the IMC when on the frontline, plus didn’t rest at all during the last games,” Bangalore waved off. “You guys aren’t as used to it as I am.”

“No rest at all?” Gibraltar spoke up. “That was nearly five days.”

Bangalore shrugged. “Had a couple of FNGs for teammates, they got mowed down right by the first closing ring, had no choice.”

Lifeline sighed heavily then opened her mouth to counter when Bangalore cut her off.

“Cancel that, full squad just ran into those buildings. Tight corridors and many hiding spots. We could easily come from behind and ambush them.”

Both Gibraltar and Lifeline took out their guns and checked through their scopes.

“Did ya happen to see who was on the squad? Some could be very good at leaving traps and that would be a perfect place to do it.”

“There’s no one following them as far as I can see and there is no way they could have seen us from this angle, plus they left some doors open so we don’t even have to make any noise to enter.”

Lifeline glanced to the side at Gibraltar for help.

“If things get dicey we have my done and your healing drone,” he smirked.

There was that fire of excitement in his eyes that told Lifeline that they were going through with this plan. Lifeline checked her guns and shields and squashed the unease settling in her stomach.

“Alright, let’s go.”

The first phase of the plan went very well with sliding down the rocky hill and slipping soundlessly into the building. They could hear the footsteps of the squad running around the building looting it. However, as soon as Lifeline caught sight of a familiar gas trap, she knew things were going to go downhill from there. Her warning was blatantly ignored and Bangalore charged in, activating several of them. Gibraltar threw his dome in a central spot to the traps and they made a dash for the cover. Grey smoke began to fill the building, mixing and diluting the green poisonous gasses. Lifeline cursed as she heard gunfire. Bangalore was stupid and stubborn, yet she was still on her team and the last thing Lifeline wanted to do was wait for a respawn plane to land and heal her back up. With her headband pulled down over her mouth and nose, Lifeline rushed into the dissipating smoke. One death box came into view, followed by a second. The lack of gunfire made her worry. Her only reassurance that she wasn’t too late was the fact that Bangalore’s data on her wrist device hadn’t changed to needing to be respawned. Even with the gas fading from most of the traps, Lifeline could feel the burn on every inch of her exposed skin, her eyes, and her lungs. It hurt more and more to breathe in the toxic air as she searched the rooms for her frustrating teammate. The sound of Bangalore retching caught her ears. Lifeline dashed up a set of stairs and slid into a room with relatively clear air. First thing she saw was Bangalore vomiting blood as she was on her hands and knees next to a gas trap that hadn’t been deployed yet. That in itself was confusing as it should have deployed, but when she noticed the bloody item Bangalore was holding against the trap’s control panel and Caustic’s lack of a hand as he sat slumped against the wall, it all made sense. Before Caustic could do anything else with his last breaths, Lifeline put a bullet in between his eyes.

“We got another squad coming in!” Gibraltar’s voice rang in through Lifeline’s earpiece.

Lifeline rolled her eyes and crouched down by Bangalore.

“This is all ya fault for rushing in,” Lifeline stated as she glared at her.

“Taking fire brothers!” Gibraltar called out as the sounds of more gunfire echoed through the building.

Lifeline cursed again and stood up while reloading her gun. A hand grabbed hers and tugged her back down.

“What?!” Lifeline snapped.

“Help me…lift this,” Bangalore gasped out between the blood dripping from her lips. She then motioned to the stairway. “Tell him…lead here…” then pointed to the door that led out of the building, “we escape…” she made a halfhearted throwing motion.

It was a batshit crazy idea that might get them all doused in more gas, but Bangalore was clearly in no condition to fight and it would definitely deter most people from the easy route of following them.

“Gibraltar, head up the stairs at the end of the hallway on your left, we got a surprise to get them off your back.”

“Copy that! Argh-!”

His intercom was abruptly cut off, and Lifeline could only hope that he would make it. Much to her surprise Bangalore fired one of her smoke canisters into the stairway. Lifeline at first was about to snap at her for doing so, but then it she put the pieces together. It was a clear signal for Gibraltar to come this way along with providing cover for him. Heavy footsteps and gunfire got closer as the two of them worked to pick up the trap. Bangalore could only use one arm to lift while the other was keeping the severed hand on the control panel. Violent coughing sprayed blood from her lips and nearly made her lose her grip. Lifeline held on for dear life and placed her hand over Bangalore’s to keep Caustic’s hand in place. Dark brown eyes looked at her oddly.

“I don’t want a face full of this nasty gas.”

Gibraltar burst through the doorway, obviously having taken a number of bullets.

“On the count of one!” Lifeline called out. “ONE!”

They heaved together tossing it down the stairs as it began to spray the toxic gas everywhere. Lifeline slammed the door shut and grabbed Bangalore by the strap of her backpack and began to run for the other door. However, Bangalore’s legs promptly gave out on her as yet another bloody coughing fit drove her to the ground.

“Ya have the worst timing!” Lifeline cried out in impatience.

“I gotcha, keep on running!” Gibraltar swooped in and threw Bangalore over his broad shoulders like she was a sack of potatoes.

“I’m glad at least ya aren’t dead weight.”

The door to the outside was thrown open and they jumped off the second story floor. Landing was hard on their legs and there wasn’t any cover nearby. Regardless they sprinted as fast as they could towards the curve of the mountain nearby. Clouds of smoke popped up behind them, at least Bangalore was still trying to help. A couple of bullets whizzed by, blind shots, yet still dangerous shots. As the smoke slowly cleared Lifeline felt a few dig into the back of her body armor. Gibraltar stopped running and threw his protective dome down followed by Bangalore’s bloody body.

“You got fifteen seconds to get her back on her feet! I’ll hold them off as long as I can!” he stated as he pulled his gun out and activated his personal shield.

Lifeline cursed as she pulled out a large syringe and stabbed it into Bangalore’s shoulder. The plunger slowly and steadily was pushed down. Bangalore’s eyes widened as the healing serum raced through her body. After seven seconds Lifeline threw the empty syringe to the side and pulled Bangalore to her feet. Fueled by the fast revive, Bangalore pulled her gun right out and added her fire to Gibraltar’s as they faced off against the squad of three that were heading their way. Lifeline activated her drone and placed it right behind Gibraltar so it could begin to heal him.

“Thanks brother!”

“Let’s finish this off!”

The dome powered down exposing them to the oncoming fire. One opponent dropped down. Lifeline pulled out her rifle and added her fire to theirs, successfully dropping the second. The third stopped and began to run away.

“Don’t let them escape!” Bangalore called out.

“I got ‘em! Ya two stay back and heal ya selves.” Lifeline sprinted forward after the remaining squad member.

She took a side tour up the side of the mountain they had been skirting around. The height would give her an advantage. Unfortunately, she had lost sight of them for whatever reason. Almost like they had disappeared. Lifeline scanned around one more time before sliding down and checking the death boxes. Both tags had been removed which meant the third teammate was on their route to the next beacon to call in an airship to get their other two teammates back in the action. A scowl formed on her lips. She looted both of the boxes, and made her way back to where her two teammates were.

Syringes, ammo, optics, and magazines were laid out in front of them as they geared back up after the tough fights.

“Well at least we shouldn’t have to worry about anymore gas traps, but…” Lifeline pointedly glared at Bangalore. “The next time ya run off to take on a whole squad ya self I’m not chasing after ya to save ya ass.”

Bangalore’s cheeks darkened as she looked away.

“Now stay still while I have a look at ya,” Lifeline ordered as she stepped closer to Bangalore and plopped down on her lap.

Bangalore attempted to pull back, her mouth dropping open in the beginning of a protest.

“What are you-”

Lifeline snapped her mouth shut with the flick of her wrist. She pulled out a small light and held one of the dark brown eyes open as she shined the light in it for a second.

“Caustic has been working on a gas that slows the healing properties of the usual syringes.”

The light was shined in the other eye. Lifeline let her hand slide down the side of Bangalore’s angular face before pushing her mouth open with her thumb. A slightly unnecessary movement if Lifeline was being honest, but so was sitting in the woman’s lap almost chest to chest. Bangalore’s flushed cheeks darkened.

“Good thing ya got me as ya doctor. I’ve been working to make sure my little D.O.C. still gives the best juice. It’ll take care of those nasty side effects better than any syringe. But ya only getting any if ya promise to be nice,” Lifeline finished with a stern look.

Bangalore gritted her teeth. They held each other’s gazes for a long moment.

“I feel just fine,” Bangalore lowly stated.

Lifeline raised and eyebrow. “Ya certain?”

“Yes, now get off me.”

She was being stubborn again, but Lifeline wasn’t going to push it. “Your lap makes a much better seat than I thought,” Lifeline winked as she ran her fingers along one of the shaved sides of Bangalore’s head. With a not so discreet forward rock of her hips, Lifeline stood up and walked away. She didn’t think it was possible for Bangalore’s cheeks to get any darker but they did. A smirk formed on her lips.

Dark brown eyes inadvertently followed Lifeline’s hips as she walked away with a sway in them. Amused brown eyes caught hers. Gibraltar raised an eyebrow at her, a slight laugh on his lips.

“You two know each other?” he motioned between them.

“No!” came Bangalore’s kneejerk reaction.

“Yes,” Lifeline sat back and checked over her gun. “I’ve heard her make all sorts of noises.”

“Oh really?” the amusement in Gibraltar’s voice was palpable.

Bangalore jumped to her feet, her face burning yet again. “Not in the way you’re thinking!”

“Oh I wasn’t going to assume anything,” Gibraltar raised his hands up.

“Then why ya so red in the face if it wasn’t anything scandalous?” the tease came from Lifeline.

Bangalore just wanted to strangle her at that moment. Gibraltar laughed out loud.

“We should get moving, the second ring closes in an hour and we still have 1km to go before we are inside of it,” Bangalore changed topics.

“Ya haven’t finished healing up,” Lifeline motioned to her drone.

Bangalore pulled out one of her syringes and stabbed it into her wrist, pointedly making sure to flip off Lifeline the whole time as she healed herself. Amused light hazel eyes looked right into hers.

“Hope ya good at keeping ya word ‘Nita.”

Bangalore stormed off, not sparing a glance back at her teammates. “Let’s get a move on ladies! I don’t like being a sitting duck any more than the one hanging up on a wall of a pub.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nasty side effects from the gas? Probably just an excuse from Lifeline to sit on Bangalore's lap.
> 
> Also in celebration of the one year anniversary of Apex Legends I will be posting another chapter on the 4th!


	10. Something Isn’t Right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 1 year Anniversary to Apex Legends!!!
> 
> Enjoy this extra update ;)

The number of remaining squads was dwindling and with each ring that closed in on them, the pressure continued to mount. Resting, aside from brief breaks from their treks across the varied landscape, was out of the question. After getting ambushed the second time they tried sleeping in shifts, they decided it was too risky and that they would push on from there.

Five squads remaining, four days in, and the fourth ring was right on their tails. The wall of red fire swiftly crept up on them. While the visual was just a holograph, if it past a player in the games, their wrist device would begin to slowly roast their bodies until they either got out or died. It was like a shock collar for a dog, a very advanced and very lethal shock collar.

Bangalore breathed out evenly despite the burn in her legs from sprinting for so long. A quick glance backwards at her teammates made her gut sink. Lifeline wasn’t too far behind her, but Gibraltar was slowing down. In moments he was sure to be passed by the ring. Dark brown eyes checked her map again. They were only a few hundred meters from the boundaries of the next ring, but those three to four minutes of being outside of it would be enough to kill anyone. Unless… Bangalore intentionally slowed her stride, letting herself catch her breath.

“I’m out of the ring! Keep on moving without me!” Gibraltar’s pained voice came through their earpieces.

Lifeline caught up with her and for the moment they ran side by side.

“How many medkits do you have Gibraltar?” Bangalore spoke into her intercom.

“Only one,” came the huff.

Bangalore winced, she could already hear the searing sounds of him getting burned.

“Slow down and heal up, I’m heading your direction to help,” Bangalore ordered.

“What?!” Lifeline shot back. “We are just a bit from the ring we can wait for him there.”

Bangalore ignored the comment, turned around, and sprinted back towards Gibraltar. The ring passed her and immediately she felt her skin light on fire. She squinted through the red haze, locating their third teammate. Thankfully he was doing as she suggested, walking and healing himself. Bangalore reached into her backpack and grabbed the three small syringes she had.

“We are going to need you, keep your health up and catch up as soon as you can,” Bangalore said as she put the syringes in an open pouch on the front of his belt.

“Thanks brother!” Gibraltar smiled. “Now you get out of here! We still got a championship to win!”

With that he gave her a firm shove back towards the ring. Bangalore used the momentum to help her push through the pain and start sprinting again. Just that short amount of time out of the ring was already taking a toll on her.

“Let’s see ya best 200m sprint!” Lifeline’s voice chimed in. “Ya better make it fast cause company is going to be arriving soon.”

The searing of her skin was making it tighter and more agonizing to keep moving. Teeth were ground together as hands arms and legs moved rapidly back and forth. She could see the ring just ahead and Lifeline’s silhouette framed in the fiery haze. Bangalore threw herself forward and slid on the dirt, finally crossing back into the ring and stopping right behind a rock. She panted heavily as she leaned back against the cool stone for a second. Thick smoke rose off of her body. An object was thrown against her chest.

“Heal up, we got company,” Lifeline stated as she crouched down next to her and peered through the scope of her longbow.

Bangalore grabbed the large syringe and promptly shot the serum into her body. The sizzle of her burned skin slowly faded away. Dark brown eyes closed for a moment in relief. However, when she opened them, the bright blue sky had become the deep navy blue of nighttime, the landscape had gone from light shades to grim ones with wisps of fog drifting around, and instead of Lifeline crouched in front of her, there was this shadowy figure. It looked like her, but had haunting red eyes and twisted lines of fire wrapped all over her body. Fear seeped into Bangalore’s body from the mere sight of it. The shadow opened its mouth and let out a bone chilling howl. Bangalore jerked back and blinked. All of the sudden the bright blue sky and landscape was back along with Lifeline in her usual attire. The signal from the syringe that it was empty snapped Bangalore out of her state of shock. She tossed it to the side and pulled her gun out. Getting distracted by whatever hallucination had just happened would cost them the championship. Lifeline was already putting lead downrange at whoever was attacking them. Bangalore peered through her scope and located the opponent. Two successful shots were fired and a third was about to finish them off when Lifeline’s next bullet got there first. The tally dropped to four squads left. A lone wolf.

“No time to savor our victory, this wall starts moving again in thirty minutes and we have two kilometers until we reach the next one.”

Both of them glanced back at the same time at Gibraltar as he finally got back into the ring. His bulky frame dropped to the ground. They rushed over and dragged him to their cover behind the rock. Bangalore’s eyebrows furrowed. He was in bad shape, not just health wise, but physically it was dubious if he could make another sprint for the next ring. For a moment the smoke rising off his body turned into shadowy wisps and everything became dark and earie again.

“We got five minutes to rest,” Lifeline’s voice cut through, “then we are heading out for the next ring.”

The D.O.C. was hovering by Gibraltar, healing him up. Bangalore shook her head and took a steadying breath. This was concerning.

“I’m going to loot that death box for anything useful,” she quickly excused herself.

Focusing on a task helped to steady her mind and nerves. That was such a laughable thing considering what she was in the middle of. A few good health items could be found. Just as she got back to her two teammates, Lifeline was powering down her doc and storing it in her hip pouch.

“Got some syringes and shield cells, everyone stock up.”

“One minute and we heading out,” Lifeline reminded.

Gibraltar scooped up a few items and stood up and clapped them both on the shoulders hard enough that Bangalore felt her back pop twice. “I’m ready, let’s go! We got three other squads left and we are the champions.”

Something definitely was wrong and it was getting worse. So much so that Bangalore was doing her best to blink as little as possible. Her whole environment kept on warping back and forth between the two. It was especially disorienting in the middle of a fight. She almost shot her teammates more than once, but was able to recognize their shapes and turn to fire at the other shadows jumping at her. Injecting another syringe into her system alleviated the symptoms temporarily, but the relief she got from doing so was getting shorter and shorter. At some point the earie world never left her sight. All she could do was keep pushing on, hoping that if she killed all of the shadows she might get out of this nightmare.

The last squad just had to be a full squad, and they had come out of hiding right as they had finished off the third squad. Lifeline dove into the dome Gibraltar had managed to activate before he got wrapped up in his death box. A large shield cell was pulled out and activated. She hoped Bangalore would keep the other three busy long enough for her to jump back into the action with fresh legs. Smoke popped up around them and Bangalore came sliding inside of the dome not even a moment later. Her rifle was immediately pointed directly at Lifeline’s face.

“Cut that out!” Lifeline growled as she shoved it away from her. “We are on the same team remember!”

“Oh, it’s you,” there was relief in her tone, but her wide-eyed unhinged look all over her face didn’t go away.

Lifeline rolled her eyes, probably adrenaline making her trigger happy at anything that moved. The ping of bullets against the fading barrier let them both know time was running out.

“Let’s give it our all,” Lifeline stated as she reloaded her weapon. She glanced back over her shoulder and glared at Bangalore. “And don’t ya dare shoot me.”

An affirmative nod was given. The barrier dropped and Bangalore shot out a second canister of smoke. It was close quarters no matter what, might as well try to give themselves the upper hand. Lifeline crept up on one opponent from behind, only for them to suddenly disappear. Lifeline quickly turned on her feet, trying to check all angles for wherever this person went. Bullets digging through the side of her armor let her know that she missed them. She pivoted and fired out as much as she could. However, since the other woman’s body armor was fresh, Lifeline was the first to crumple to the around. Milky white eyes stared down at her as she pulled out a kunai. Lifeline knew this fighter, she was one of the legends with multiple wins on her record.

“I guess I was just one step ahead of you,” Wraith evenly stated as she raised her kunai up.

The blade stabbed into her throat, but before Wraith could pull it out, Lifeline latched onto her arm and kept her there with all of her remaining strength. If she was going down, she was going to at least put her killer in a vulnerable position. Bangalore was still alive, so there was still a chance for them to win. Two bullets found their way right into Wraith’s chest, throwing her off of Lifeline. The sight before her seemed too good to be true, Bangalore rushing in, covered in blood, and finishing off Wraith just in time. Lifeline wanted to reach out for her, but her arms were too heavy. Gunfire rang out all around her as her vision began to fade away. She could only hope that Bangalore somehow managed to pull it off and secure the win for them.

Waking up in the revival center was as fun as always. The disorientation and cluelessness, the aromas of the extra strong cleaning chemicals mixed with gore and bodily waste, the thin medical gowns and the rows and rows of examination tables that were either full or empty. Lifeline sat up, slightly surprised at not being tied down with any restraints, and looked at the tables on either side of her. One was empty, and on the other Gibraltar sat with a pudding cup. His large hands in comparison to the small dessert and spoon they had given him was almost comical.

“Welcome back!” He grinned.

The joyfulness of his greeting did nothing to deter the worry eating away at her at the empty table. That was never a good sign.

“Did she already get cleared?” Lifeline motioned to Bangalore’s assumed table.

Gibraltar’s face fell. He looked down into his pudding cup and scooped up another spoonful of the chocolatey semi-solid.

“Haven’t seen her, it was empty when I woke up. Can’t get a straight answer from any of the medical personnel.”

Light hazel eyes scoured the room and zeroed in on a doctor a few rows over. They were going to tell her where Bangalore was. She hopped off her table and began to fall forward when she landed on her unsteady feet. Gibraltar’s arm caught her around the waist and steadied her.

“Take it slow, you just woke up.”

“Thanks,” Lifeline breathed out.

The doctor having noticed both of them moving about, turned and headed their direction.

“Neither of you have been cleared for release, please-” they began.

“Where is Anita?!” Lifeline rushed forward and grabbed the doctor by the front of their scrubs with both hands.

“What are you-?”

“Bangalore! Where is she?!”

Lifeline had no idea what had taken over her, this insane need to know where and how Bangalore was doing seemed to come out of nowhere. Or maybe it didn’t. Maybe it was the fear from all of the rumors she had heard at the bars about Bangalore getting offed for good in the next games or just how many people disliked her or maybe she had gotten used to seeing Anita next to her so much, that her absence made her think something _had_ to be wrong.

“She is being taken care of,” the doctor stated in a very calm manner.

“Where!?”

“That’s not something you need to be worried about Ms. Che, our medical personnel are doing the best they can to help her.”

Gibraltar’s heavy hand on her shoulder made her pause for a second to breathe in and out.

“What are ya hiding? If it were a normal case she’d be right here.”

“I’m not authorized-”

Lifeline snatched the data pad out of their hands and began to look through it.

“Hey!”

Gibraltar held the doctor at bay with one arm. “We just want to know where our teammate is and pay her a visit if possible.”

“No one is allowed near her, she is dangerous and out of control!”

Lifeline frowned. Something _was_ off.

“I need my D.O.C.,” she muttered as she handed Gibraltar the data pad and crouched down to look in the storage shelf under her examination table.

Sitting next to her folded, cleaned clothes was her trusty drone in sleep mode. With one gentle rub across its top it activated and zoomed into Lifeline’s arms. She hugged it tightly before grabbing one more item and standing up to face the doctor.

“Now, I’m only going to say this one last time. Where is Anita?” Lifeline sweetly spoke as she flashed her knife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O.O duhnuhnuh....
> 
> #gibgibbyyourpuddingcup


	11. Friendly Fire

Lifeline kept the knife pressed against the side of the doctor’s neck as they typed in the access code for the locked door.

“I am not going in there,” the doctor stated once again, “and you shouldn’t either.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Lifeline shrugged as she added a little more pressure with the knife.

A green light finally appeared on the keypad. The doctor quickly stepped back, raising their hands up.

“Thanks for ya cooperation, we’ll be done here shortly,” Lifeline stated as she placed her hand on the door handle. “Ya can give them back their data pad,” Lifeline directed to Gibraltar.

As soon as the data pad was handed over, the doctor turned and walked away quickly. That should have been a warning as to what lied on the other side of the door, but Lifeline was too focused on seeing Bangalore that she wasn’t concerned with _why_ Bangalore had been isolated. The door opened with a creak; revealing a dimly lit room stripped of anything besides unforgiving walls. There were blood streaks and splatters here and there, a few handprints even, but no sign of Anita. Lifeline took one step inside and immediately realized why the doctor didn’t want to enter the room. Gloved hands grabbed her arm that was holding the knife and suddenly she was flying through the air and landing harshly on the floor as the knife was twisted out of her grip. Lifeline braced for the inevitable stab from the stolen weapon. However, when she opened her eyes she saw Gibraltar with a solid hold locked on a wild-eyed Bangalore. The knife was poised over her head, ready to be brought down and buried in Lifeline’s soft flesh. Bangalore was still in her blood-soaked outfit, yet all of her usual gear had been stripped from it. Lifeline breathed out a sigh of relief knowing that Bangalore was still alive as she sat up.

“It’s us your teammates! The games are over!” Gibraltar called out to Bangalore.

It did nothing, Bangalore continued to struggle against his hold, her unhinged expression drawing Lifeline’s attention. She had seen that before, right at the end of the games when Bangalore had put a gun to her face.

“Snap out of it,” Lifeline snapped her fingers in front of Bangalore’s face. “No more fighting.”

“RrrrAAAGHH!” Bangalore cried out as she tried in vain to get out of Gibraltar’s hold.

Combat medic mode took over, Lifeline scrutinized Bangalore’s body. She couldn’t see any injuries, but it was always best to be certain. She motioned for her drone to come over.

“Give me a full body scan.”

The D.O.C. gave an affirmative beep.

“It can’t hold this forever,” Gibraltar breathed out. “Well I got some time, she’s just really fighting me.”

Nothing came up on the body scan. Lifeline frowned. No injuries to treat, that was all old blood that was covering her, what could be wrong?

“Ay ‘Nita! Talk to me!”

The only response was the panicked, wide-eyed look and a frustrated cry. She needed to think fast, if Bangalore’s body was just fine, then her mind must be where the problem was. Lifeline reached out to try and grab the sides of Bangalore’s face, but had a hard time in doing so as Bangalore moved away from her touch as if her life depended on it. Lifeline glanced up at Gibraltar.

“Move her further into the room, I’m going to close door. Then we disarm her and let her out of the hold, ok?”

Gibraltar raised an eyebrow at her. “She’s pretty quick, you think that’s a good idea? We might also get locked in here.”

“Then I’ll keep her busy while ya get out of here.”

“I’m not leaving you in here to deal with her alone, not in this state.”

“I can handle her, I’ve done it before. Besides I won’t be alone,” Lifeline smirked as she patted the top of her drone.

“We do this together,” Gibraltar stated.

“Alright.”

Gibraltar managed to move Bangalore further into the room while maintaining the hold on her. Lifeline quickly closed the door and returned to take back her knife. The second part being much harder than anticipated due to Bangalore twisting her wrist this way and that. However, Lifeline was able to catch her at an angle and pry it free. She dropped into a defensive stance and then nodded at Gibraltar to let Bangalore go. He practically threw her to the other side of the room, which turned out to be a good thing as she came right for them, swinging her fists and crying out. They stayed on the defensive, keeping their distance and avoiding all of her attacks while trying to call her back to her senses with their words. After a few minutes she slowed down, also falling on the defensive, her eyes darting back and forth between the two.

“Bangalore it’s us ya teammates! Lifeline and Gibraltar!” Lifeline tried yet again.

Lifeline’s drone peeked out from behind her and Bangalore’s attention immediately went to it. Dark brown eyes were lit with recognition. Bangalore bolted towards Lifeline, catching her off guard. First two punches were blocked, but the kick and leg trip sent her briefly to the ground. Lifeline was back on her feet in a second. That attack felt off, if anything Bangalore should have tried to follow through with it and not give her the chance to get up. A distressed beep came from Lifeline’s drone. Light hazel eyes widened as she saw it behind Bangalore’s back. Her goal wasn’t to attack it was to separate her from the D.O.C. and her D.O.C. did not like that at all. Before either of them could make another move, the drone shot out a chord into Bangalore’s back and sent a powerful wave of electricity into her. Gibraltar made to rush forward.

“Wait!” Lifeline held out her hand.

They waited, watching Bangalore convulse until her eyes rolled back into her sockets and her body fell to the floor.

“Stop!” Lifeline commanded to her drone.

The current was halted, but the drone didn’t retract the chord. Lifeline crept closer to Bangalore’s limp body. Any moment now she would wake up. Lifeline took a moment to study the blood smears all over Bangalore’s clothes and hands. Most of it probably was from the games, but if there was all this blood everywhere inside the room, it was possible some was from the medical or security staff that had put her in here and tried to treat her. Hopefully no one got seriously hurt while they were disarming her. Relaxed limbs snapped back into action. Bangalore’s head jerked up and began to look around until she made eye contact with Lifeline. They lit with recognition.

“Ajay?”

That was unexpected.

“’Nita?” Lifeline took a couple of steps closer.

“Where…” Bangalore trailed off as she began to look around. Fear began to creep into her eyes. Slowly she started to back away. “N-no…”

Lifeline rushed forward, reaching for Bangalore. “Hey, hey! It’s ok ‘Nita, everything is over, ya safe!”

Bangalore continued to shake her head and back away. “N-no…they’re coming…they don’t stop coming…” Dark brown eyes darted to the side and caught sight of Gibraltar. Panic seemed to grow in them. “They’re here Ajay…”

Lifeline and Gibraltar traded a confused glance.

“Who are ya talking about?” Lifeline directed at Bangalore.

The soldier’s fearful face was no longer lit with recognition as she stared at Lifeline. “No…where…Ajay?” Fear was then replaced with anger. “Where’s Ajay?! What did you do with her?!”

Those dark brown eyes had that murderous look in them that Lifeline had become very familiar with.

“I’m right here! Can’t ya fucking see?!” she waved her hands back and forth.

Damp curls moved back and forth as Bangalore shook her head. “You’re not her,” she spoke through gritted teeth. Slowly she stood up, Lifeline took a couple of steps back in response. “I’ll keep on killing all of you until I escape this hell hole.”

Her hand went for where at gun may be typically strapped, only to find none. The lack of weapons on her body was processed in an instant. That didn’t shake her as she lunged forward to attack Lifeline anyways. Lifeline remained neutral. Before Bangalore could take more than two steps, the D.O.C. sent a powerful current down the chord still attached to her back. Gibraltar and Lifeline watched as Bangalore convulsed for a few moments and then collapsed.

“That was odd,” Gibraltar frowned.

“She’s hallucinating,” Lifeline rubbed her chin and moved closer to Bangalore. “And it’s convincing enough that she’s attacking anyone near her. Just look at the room. That’s not just her blood.”

Bangalore started to move again, groaning lowly as she opened her eyes.

“Bangalore,” Lifeline quickly started, “The Apex Games are over, ya safe, there is no need to fight anymore.”

She didn’t respond right away, her eyes looked around the room before focusing on Lifeline. “It’s over?”

“Yes, ya don’t need to fight anymore.”

That same fear began to seep into Bangalore’s eyes once again. Lifeline quickly grabbed both sides of her face, keeping them facing each other.

“Ya hallucinating, whatever it is ya seeing isn’t real.”

Bangalore’s eyes darted away and she tried to pull out of Lifeline’s grip.

“Don’t look away from me! Ya hallucinating!”

“The shadows…they’re coming…”

“Look at ME!”

Dark brown eyes finally looked back, but they had already lost their recognition.

“Whatever ya seeing isn’t real! I’m here! Ya safe!”

“Y-you’re just another one of them,” Bangalore tried to mask her fear with a snarl.

“Don’t ya hear me?! It’s me Lifeline!” The desperation in her voice was evident. She didn’t want to loose Bangalore already and have to restart the whole process.

“I-I just see shadows…”

“Can ya hear my voice?”

No verbal response came, but Bangalore’s attempts to pull out of her grip intensified. Lifeline kept hold of her face, pulling her closer. Gibraltar came from behind and got a hold on Bangalore’s torso and arms, keeping her from breaking loose.

“Can ya hear me ‘Nita?!” Lifeline didn’t know why she was yelling, maybe the volume could help to cut through the madness holding Bangalore’s mind captive.

A slow nod was given. “Where are you?” Dark brown eyes darted around everywhere, hopelessness seeping into them as she was unable to break free from their holds.

“I’m right in front of ya.”

“There’s only shadows…” came Bangalore’s soft voice. “I can’t move…they’re going to kill me…”

“No, no they aren’t! We are the one’s holding ya, nothing is going to happen, ya not going to be hurt.”

Bangalore’s began to vehemently shake her head, tears starting to run down her dirty cheeks. “N-no…they’re going to kill me…they’re going to kill you…they don’t ever stop…”

“We got ya! Nothing is going to hurt ya!”

“What do you want from me! I don’t have anything else to tell!” Bangalore shouted out as she pulled against their holds. “Please! Let me GO!”

That hit a little too close, Lifeline almost lost her grip. Bangalore began to cry out as if she was being beaten and tortured. Hallucinations, vivid ones especially, were known to make people feel everything as if it were actually happening. Whatever these shadows were doing to Bangalore, she had completely bought into it.”

“Ya not being hurt! Fight it! Hold onto my voice! Everything is OK!”

“Lifeline…” Bangalore sobbed. “Please…if you really are there…just let me die…put me out of my misery…”

No, she didn’t want to hear those words again. She didn’t want to kill her, there had to be a solution, a reason behind why all of this was happening.

“I can’t beat them…no matter how hard I fight…”

Lifeline was cradling Bangalore’s face in her chest right now as she continued to sob and cry out in agony, her body jerking and twisting with every imaginary attack.

“Ya can do it…” Lifeline whispered. “I’ve seen ya survive so much.”

“Please…Ajay…”

Lifeline blinked. Why was she so worried about killing Bangalore? She’d nearly done it dozens of times and each time was able to bring her back.

“You really aren’t considering going with her request are you?” Gibraltar grunted as he adjusted his hold.

“My drone can bring her right back, maybe that will act like rebooting a computer.”

“You really are considering it.” Gibraltar the disbelief in his tone was palpable. “What if you go too far?”

“I can revive her-” a light bulb suddenly clicked on. “The revive solution! Check her wrist to see if she still has her banner on her!”

“Has it already been used?”

Lifeline closed her mouth. She had no idea. Out of everything that had been going on since she woke up, not once did she find out who ended up winning.

“Check her wrists anyway,” Lifeline stated as she reestablished her hold on Bangalore’s head.

When the first wrist didn’t have anything on it, the realization that the banner could have been taken with the rest of Bangalore’s gear crossed the combat medic’s mind. It didn’t matter, they still had to check. If it wasn’t there, that meant that it would be up to her drone to pull this off.

“It’s broken,” Gibraltar stated as he showed the cracked device that was missing its front face and some interior hardware.

“Shit…”

Not only had they lost the games, but they didn’t have the revive solution to use. Lifeline looked down at Bangalore’s tear streaked face. Fingers ran along the buzz cut sides of her head. They had to try it, who knew how long it would take for the doctors to figure out what was wrong and treat it? Then again, maybe she was overstepping her bounds, maybe she should let the professionals handle this. Professionals?! She was a professional! She might not have the same number of years of experience, but no one knew Bangalore’s limits like she did. Lifeline set her face with determination.

“We going to restart her,” she made eye contact with Gibraltar to let him know she was serious. “I’m going to push her right to the edge, then bring her back. I know I can do it, and it just might work.”

Gibraltar pressed his lips together. “Alright, let’s do this,” he breathed out heavily.

“On three we are going to release her and step away, then my drone is going to electrocute her.”

A slow nod and a grimace.

“One…two…three!”

As soon as they were away the D.O.C. shot the powerful current into Bangalore. Lifeline watched Bangalore’s body spasm and twitch as smoke began to rise off of her. Her painful cries cut through the air like a knife. Round lips were pulled down, this scene was all too familiar. Bangalore’s cries steadily died out. Light hazel eyes watched as the life began to fade from dark browns.

“I’m sorry,” Lifeline whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The shadow hallucinations are based off of the shadowfall event. However, they are not related to Revenant as he was introduced as a legend after this story arc was planned out and written.
> 
> Do you think Lifeline made the right choice?


	12. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

The gloved pointer finger pressed against the touchscreen and was dragged to the left, pulling the video marker with it to rewind the footage. She couldn’t believe what she was watching, not even after the third time of viewing it. The footage of Bangalore facing off against the remaining two opponents was something else. While Bangalore’s smoke was clouding the lenses most of the time, the infrared capabilities of the cameras allowed for continued visuals on what was happening. Bangalore’s hallucinations were fully evident in how she blasted out in almost any direction and how she would perform evasive maneuvers to invisible attacks. Luck had been on her side when she managed to catch one of the opponents by surprise and finish them off. At least the shadow hallucination, as Lifeline had decided to call it, took the actual environment and people Bangalore was seeing and warped it instead of replacing everything with a whole new scene. Granted plenty was added in, but at least nothing was removed so that “seeing” her opponents would have been impossible.

Lifeline narrowed her eyes as the turning point was coming up. The remaining opponent had found Bangalore and had badly wounded her, to the point that any moment her revive solution would be kicking in. Bangalore shot yet another smoke canister and had managed to escape, hiding in a series of rocks. Once again they had been lucky that Wraith had been taken out first, otherwise she would have found Bangalore and quickly ended her. Light hazel eyes watched the heat pattern of Bangalore move about, probably giving herself a syringe considering the positioning of her hand to her wrist. However, this time viewing it, Lifeline caught the subtle abnormality. She was moving her hands too much to be applying a syringe. Those needed steady hands. What came next was still hard to wrap her mind around. The rejuvenated Bangalore called for an airstrike at her exact location, climbed up a rock, and started raining bullets down in all directions along with the heavy artillery. Both the explosions and the bullets managed to kill the last opponent making Bangalore the badly wounded, lone survivor. Bangalore kept on fighting her hallucinations, not processing the celebratory sounds or declaration that she was the champion. Lifeline paused the video and zoomed in on the semi clear shot of Bangalore’s right wrist. Where the light emitting from her visible banner should have been, there was none. Zooming in even more showed off a mostly pixilated view of what looked like broken hardware. Had she not seen the condition of Bangalore’s banner herself, she wouldn’t have believed it.

“They’re going to ban that,” Lifeline spoke out loud to the large figure approaching her from the side.

“They already have!” came the short, deep laugh.

Lifeline turned to face Gibraltar as he walked up to her, holding a brown shopping bag by its thin twine handles.

“Press release along with the update to the Apex Games rules was done only a couple of hours after the match finished. Luckily, they didn’t decide to strip us of our championship because they couldn’t outright determine that Bangalore wouldn’t have won had she not pulled that stunt.”

The recording of the armored officials retraining and fighting Bangalore pulled Lifeline’s attention to the side for the moment.

“Her fight or flight reaction was as real as it gets. There’s some comfort in dying in the games knowing ya will wake up again, makes that fight or flight less potent.”

“How is she doing?” Gibraltar shifted topics. “Can we see her?”

“I’m scheduled to head in in five minutes to give her another dose,” Lifeline stated as she rubbed the top of her D.O.C.

“I am still having a hard time figuring out how your drone heals her better than any of their healing solutions.”

Lifeline shrugged. “Simple, I keep working to improve mine. The last time they made any changes to their solution was over a decade ago.”

“HA! They should take notes from you!”

“I’d be willing to negotiate, as long as they credit properly and pay me well,” she smirked. “Shall we?” Lifeline motioned down the hall with her thumb.

They made the short journey to Bangalore’s new room. A standard ICU one instead of an isolation cell. However, even with that improvement, there were fully geared up guards positioned outside and inside of the room. An order that should have been in place the whole time, but the guards were always pulled from the medical area and shuffled to the event center for the awards ceremony as soon as possible. Bangalore had injured a number of personnel, mostly the ones who pulled her from the ring and those that tried to treat her. Unfortunately, one doctor had been killed in the isolation room. That death was the reason behind the orders to not let anyone in her room, along with stopping all treatments. They were just going to wait it out and if she didn’t ever come back to her senses, they were going to let her die. A bit extreme in Lifeline’s opinion, especially considering that all they needed to do was tie her down in order to reduce the danger she possessed. Then again, there would be more people happy with Anita’s death then there would be at her surviving.

Pressurized air was released as the doors slid open allowing for Lifeline, her drone, and Gibraltar to enter. Clad in the simple medical gown and sitting on the examination table was the ever serious, yet painfully attractive Anita Williams. Lifeline had never really seen much of Bangalore’s skin aside from her neck and face until now. While it was her third time coming in this room to deliver more of her healing solution, the sight of the powerful and firm arm and leg muscles under her rich brown skin was still hard to ignore. Dark brown eyes locked onto Lifeline and then flicked towards her drone for a split second.

“Time for ya hourly check-up ‘Nita!” Lifeline casually walked forward.

Bangalore’s eyes narrowed and she shifted on the table away from her. Lifeline wanted to smack herself in the forehead for her choice of words. The last thing Bangalore needed was another reminder of their first series of interactions. A discrete sigh was let out. There was no changing the past, she just needed to play it cool from here.

“Should be the last one, ya hallucinations have almost all gone away, right?”

Bangalore looked around the room before focusing on Lifeline again. The paranoia was still evident in her irises.

“Yes.”

Bangalore’s tone was strained and hoarse. Every inch of her screamed discomfort.

“Well, I’m more than happy to give ya another dose after the awards ceremony,” she motioned to her drone to slowly approach Bangalore. “If not, I’m sure with time ya body will work the rest of it out.”

The D.O.C. began to extend its cable towards Bangalore. To say Bangalore flinched was an understatement. She outright jumped off the table and backed up so only Gibraltar was behind her. Lifeline sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. The past two times she had done this.

“It is not going to hurt ya.”

“This time,” Bangalore lowly stated.

“Ya going to cooperate or not? There’s only a couple of hours left before we are supposed to arrive at the awards ceremony and I’m not showing up in my combat attire.”

Bangalore sat back down on the examination table, glaring at Lifeline the whole time.

“Put it in her deltoid,” Lifeline instructed to her drone.

The chord was extended again and thankfully Bangalore allowed it to latch on and begin pumping the healing solution into her. Gibraltar took that as his que and stepped forward.

“Speaking of the awards ceremony, I have something for you,” he lifted up the shopping bag he had been holding. “An outfit that maybe you might like to wear instead of your gear.”

Dark brown eyes widened as the bag was placed in her hands. Very carefully she pulled out the items contained within. A pair of sharp, black slacks, a trim, maroon vest, an off-white, silk dress shirt, comfortable black socks, a pair of brown leather dress shoes, a set of square cut, diamond stud earrings, and a black leather belt. Bangalore’s mouth fell open as she looked them over again.

“Took my best guest on your sizes, hopefully they fit well,” Gibraltar chuckled.

“Th-thank you,” Bangalore managed, her voice thick with emotion.

No further words were offered, as Bangalore did something unexpected. She got off the table and gave the big man a tight hug. Gibraltar wasn’t sure how to react at first; then after a moment, he wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug. It was a brief exchange, yet Lifeline couldn’t help but feel a little envious of Gibraltar. Lifeline glanced at the clothes as Bangalore sat back down on the table to finish out the healing. It was a quality outfit and a genius gift. One she was almost kicking herself for not thinking of. Then again, she had been busy making sure Bangalore was healing up properly so she could function normally. A small part of her hoped that she too would be recognized for her help. Out of the side of her eye she watched as Bangalore silently marveled over the new clothes. Underneath it all Lifeline was glad that Gibraltar got Bangalore the clothes, the woman sure needed them. Small conversation was exchanged back and forth, mostly started and maintained by Gibraltar. For the most part Lifeline stayed out of it.

After a few more minutes the drone had finished out the healing. When the drone chord detached, Bangalore reached up to rub the spot on her deltoid. The drone promptly zoomed over to Lifeline’s side and happily beeped when she rubbed the top of its dome.

“Well, looks like we’ll be seeing ya at the awards ceremony,” Lifeline tried to break the odd silence. “Or well at the assigned meeting spot, they always got to have everyone be presented just so.”

Bangalore nodded. She opened her mouth, then closed it, and then opened it again.

“Thanks…to the both of you. We made a great team.”

“That we did,” Gibraltar smiled. “I hope we get to be on each other’s teams again someday.”

“Ya weren’t so bad, but ya would have been toast without me,” Lifeline shrugged. “Anyways, this lady needs to go get ready for a party.”

She turned around with a wave and headed for the door. Seconds after it closed, it opened again and Lifeline could hear Gibraltar’s heavy steps catching up with her. For a moment nothing was said as they walked side by side.

“You two do have history,” Gibraltar stated. “Though it is not the sexual kind that your jokes tend to imply.”

Lifeline bristled, she didn’t want to talk right now, especially not about Anita. “That topic is not open for discussion, end of story.”

“That wasn’t the first time you electrocuted her was it?”

She almost tripped up, but was able to keep her fast walk. All she wanted to do right now was get to her temporary room, shower, get ready, and finish this night as painlessly as possible.

“It would explain her repeated refusal to be healed by your D.O.C. when most are practically begging to be. It would also explain how you knew just when to stop and start healing her and how you could watch on so easily.”

“If I looked away she might have actually died, I didn’t have your luxury of getting to walk off in the middle of it,” Lifeline huffed.

Gibraltar stepped in front of her, making her stop, but she refused to look up at him.

“I am by no means innocent or free of blood on my hands, but I thought you and I had similar goals. Helping others, protecting,” he motioned to himself, “healing,” he motioned to her. “It couldn’t have happened in the last games, so it had to have been before then.”

“Her suffering saved thousands of lives!” Lifeline snapped, fiery hazel eyes boring into his. “I will never regret that and you of all people should understand that sometimes a couple of people get hurt for the greater good. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here playing in the games.”

Lifeline pushed past him and kept walking. Thankfully he didn’t try to follow her. There was no need to pry into that. To ask such invasive questions, and she should have not answered any of them. The door to her temporary room was slammed shut.

“Just a few more hours and I can get my much needed rest,” she said to herself as she looked into the bathroom mirror. “We will keep up appearances like asked and act like a great team, but after this, it’s all over.”

_“Nothing is going to hurt ya!”_

She had held onto those words despite all of the shadows she saw attacking her, but when she felt the charge twisting her body and making her spasm, she could only scold herself. Of course that had been a lie. Lifeline was probably just waiting for another chance to get a good zap in.

Shaky fingers pushed the button through the fabric slit. Bangalore breathed in and out, focusing on steadying her hands before moving onto the next one.

It was just like before, fading out from the excruciating pain only to wake up in a new location with her body restricted by binds. The guards posted around her turned into shadows as more of them slipped into the room. Bangalore had fought to try and get free, calling out for help, but none came. Of course her cries for help went unheard, why did she ever bother trying that anymore?

Bangalore adjusted the shirt collar and checked how well it was tucked into her slacks. A relatively good fit and only was a little big on the torso. She was impressed with how well Gibraltar was able to guess her size, especially considering that her gear could throw it off. Then again, maybe he had help. Regardless, she would only be grateful for the generous gift. It had been one of the nicest things someone had done for her in almost a year. Bangalore looked up and inspected her appearance in the small mirror attached the wall above the sink in the ICU room. Haunted dark brown eyes looked back into hers. Bangalore closed her eyes and sighed.

Amidst all of the terror there had been that familiar voice calling out to her, telling her it wasn’t real. Warm hands had stroked the side of her face and Bangalore had leaned into the comfort it had provided. They had wiped away her tears as the shadows began to fade away. Why was it always her face she saw first? Lifeline. Why was she always a source of so much pain, yet so much warmth?

“Hold on ‘Nita, we’re getting ya better now.”

The hand was moved away for a moment leaving Bangalore aching for the security it gave her. When it was returned she pushed into it, trying to prevent it from ever leaving again. A familiar chuckle drifted from Lifeline’s lips.

“Ya touch starved, aren’t ya ‘Nita?”

Of course she’d be mocked for showing such vulnerability.

The maroon vest was slipped on next and buttoned up. Bangalore looked over the earrings. It had been a while since she had worn any. Carefully she tested out the holes in her earlobes, thankfully they hadn’t sealed up and the tiny silver rod slid through them just fine. Her ensemble was complete now. Joints in her neck popped as she leaned her head to one side and then to the next. Bangalore headed back to the examination table and grabbed the duffle bag that had all of her clean gear neatly folded in it. At least the lockers for the games participants were nearby the medical wing. She had just enough time to drop it off and run to the rendezvous point.


	13. Too Close and Personal

If it hadn’t been for Gibraltar, the limo ride over to the awards ceremony would have been extremely silent and extremely awkward. The large man was good at reading the room and breaking the ice. Both she and Lifeline tended to interact more with him than towards each other. However, Bangalore did catch Lifeline’s eyes on her more than one and at the same time she had been caught staring at the combat medic. Bangalore was made acutely aware of her attraction to women upon seeing Lifeline and her flattering outfit for the evening. At first glance it looked like Lifeline was wearing a sleeveless, white, flowing dress with a plunging neckline, but when she stepped into the limo the illusion was shattered revealing the loose pant legs. Bangalore hated the outfit. She hated how well the color made Lifeline’s brown skin and her long, curly red hair stand out. Even the tattoo covering her left arm fit right in. And most of all Bangalore hated the shiny, single stone pendant hung around Lifeline’s neck that dangled right in the valley of her breasts.

“It’s a red garnet,” the accented voice startled Bangalore.

Eyes snapped up to amused light hazel ones. Bangalore’s cheeks were burning.

“Since ya seemed so interested in it,” Lifeline cocked her head to the side, smirking.

Bangalore focused on the unoccupied area of the limo, folding her arms and crossing her legs.

“That’s nice,” she gruffly responded.

“Maybe that’s not what you were actually focused on,” Lifeline continued to tease as she draped her arms along the backs of the row of seats she was sitting on ever so slightly sticking her chest out more. “I don’t mind, I know I look good.”

Bangalore wasn’t going to look, she had a stronger will than that.

“Though I have to say Gibraltar, you did a fine job of picking out an outfit, ‘Nita actually looks decent, attractive even.”

“What?” Bangalore’s head whirled back towards her two former teammates, her ears and face burning.

Lifeline was grinning widely while Gibraltar looked like he was caught between laughing his guts out or tucking and rolling out of the limo. Thankfully for all parties involved the sounds of the crowds and the flash of lights slowly began to surround them. They had arrived and it was time to put on a show.

Gibraltar stepped out first and stayed back to offer a gentlemanly hand for Lifeline to use when she stepped out next. Cheers rang out for the two from the crowds. Bangalore swallowed thickly and set her face. She knew those cheers would change as soon as she stepped out. The goal was to keep her emotions tightly controlled and to let it all run off her. Nothing they could say would be something she hadn’t heard hundreds of times before. Bangalore accepted the hand offered by Gibraltar and stood up on the red carpet. Flashes of light danced around and as expected the tone of the crowd changed.

“Fucking IMC lap dog!”

“Murderer! Killing innocents!”

“Get out of here you piece of shit!”

All three of them posed for a group shot. While he two teammates may have been smiling and posing, she stood there rigidly with her stoic expression. Dark brown eyes wandered over the signs raised up. Most were expressing their love and adoration for their favorite games player. Lifeline’s name was a common one along with Mirage, Octane, Bloodhound, and a few others. Then there were a few signs with her name slashed out and others that equated her name to murderer. Their group began to slowly walk down the red carpet, stopping for more pictures and a few signatures for fans that were next to the blockade. Bangalore stayed in the middle of the carpet, even if she did have a fan out there, they would probably be beaten just for showing their support.

“Justice for Dr. Johansson!” a group of voices called out.

Bangalore turned towards the sound.

“You murderer!” the gathering of people screamed at her. “Justice for Dr. Johansson!”

Eyebrows were knitted together in confusion. That was oddly specific. Bangalore moved with her teammates, putting her attention forward.

“Don’t you look away! You know what you did!”

She didn’t. The only people she knew she killed were those in the games. Aside from that, the only people she had killed since crash landing on this planet were those that gave her no other option. It made no sense for her to kill a doctor, unless… Bangalore pressed her lips together and kept walking. There were a number of hours she was hallucinating and lashing out at all of the shadows. She knew the shadows were often people in real life. There was a possibility there, but how would she even be in a situation where she could seriously hurt a doctor? Wouldn’t they have taken measures to keep her in control? Dark brown eyes scanned the entrance of the building. They still had at least another 50 meters of red carpet to go down, but then there was a hallway not too far to the left from it. Most of the sponsors, attendees, and games players tended to head to the right where they could mix and mingle. Bangalore glanced at Lifeline who was currently taking a selfie with a number of fans that were dressed up as her. If anyone knew what she had done while she was hallucinating, it would be Lifeline. A quick plan was mapped out in Bangalore’s mind, now all she had to do was wait for the right moment.

It took forever to reach the end. Bangalore saw one opening where Lifeline was looking around for any other people trying to interact with her and Gibraltar was preoccupied with a couple of sponsors. Bangalore approached Lifeline from the side and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“I need to talk to you right now.”

“What?”

Bangalore didn’t give her time to protest. A firm grip on her upper arm and ten swift steps and they were in the hallway already.

“What the fuck ‘Nita?!” Lifeline angrily shot out as she twisted out of Bangalore’s hold.

“Did I kill anyone?” Bangalore moved so she was blocking the hallway exit.

Confusion and annoyance morphed into a trademark eyeroll and sigh.

“Ya killed a lot of people ‘Nita.”

“I’m not talking about in the games Ajay! I’m talking about while I was hallucinating!”

Lifeline looked to the side. Bangalore could feel her gut sink already.

“A doctor.”

Light hazel eyes looked right into hers. Bangalore’s shoulders fell. So she did, they were right about her.

“But it wasn’t ya fault entirely. They knew ya were unstable and they left ya unguarded. When Gibraltar and I went in to see ya, ya took my knife and would have slit my throat open had I not had him for backup.”

Bangalore shook her head, that didn’t match with her memories. “I was tied down to a table.”

“That was after we stepped in. They had ya unrestrained, thankfully unarmed, inside of an isolation cell before then. Plenty of blood everywhere and plenty of time to do some damage to anyone who stepped inside.”

Bangalore stared at the floor as it all sunk in. A hand was placed in the middle of her chest. An intimate touch that she normally would instantly brush off, yet this one was warm and comforting, something that Bangalore had missed so much.

“There’s nothing ya can do about it ‘Nita.”

They looked at each other for a moment. The reduced space between them felt charged, like something could snap at any moment. Maybe it was the heat from their breath mixing or how Bangalore felt like she couldn’t look away from Lifeline’s beautiful face. Fingers curled to take hold of the front of her maroon vest. A half step closer was taken by Lifeline, their bodies almost touching.

“‘Nita?”

Her name was breathed against her lips. Dark brown eyes lowered to the round, barely parted lips painted with a bold red. Lifeline’s perfume filled Bangalore’s nostrils; a light flowery scent combined with a rich earthy undertone. It smelled wonderful. Eyebrows furrowed, why was she ok with being so close to Lifeline? She didn’t have a visual on Lifeline’s D.O.C. and hadn’t checked if she might be hiding a weapon in her outfit. Any moment she could get stabbed in the back.

“There you two are!”

A voice from behind made both of them jump away from each other. Bangalore turned to face the man, her stoic expression quickly put into place, hiding everything except for the blush darkening her cheeks. Lifeline hid hers behind a smile.

“Dinner is in about another half of an hour, but before then, there’s a lot of people that want to meet with both of you.”

Larry Berry, one of the PR heads for the games.

“Best not to keep them waiting!” Larry said with a practiced smile.

Bangalore managed a nod while Lifeline made some verbal response. They both followed Larry and met up with Gibraltar who was in the middle of an interview about being on the championship team. To say he was glad to have them show up would be an understatement. Lifeline took over from there while Bangalore stayed in the back, offering only a few comments when asked a direct question. Her mind was still reeling from what almost happened back there in the hallway. How easily she had let her guard down around Lifeline pissed her off. The interview lasted a little longer and then they were shuffled off towards a group of business men and women. Bangalore didn’t remember talking to this many people the last time she won, but then again it was just her that had survived. There weren’t that many people eager to talk to the IMC soldier. On the other hand, her current team had two of the more popular figures on it so there was going to be no shortage of interviews. Dark brown eyes scanned the room, already bored with all of the pointless small talk.

“Bangalore! What was it like working with some of the top games competitors?”

Her attention was pulled back to the group of business people, spying the reporter that had snuck into the group. A quick glance at Gibraltar and Lifeline told her that they were just as surprised as all of the business people there at the reporter’s appearance.

“You had the most kills of the group, do you think having a defensive and support type of teammates helped you get that many?” the reporter pressed, holding the small microphone out towards her.

She wasn’t sure what the reporter’s game was and she couldn’t really ignore them, so she was going to be honest.

“I take a lot of risks in order to chase down opponents. I was lucky to have such talented teammates who could keep up and valued keeping their teammates alive.”

“Do you value keeping your teammates alive? This is the second time you’ve finished as the lone person standing with both of your teammates dead.”

That slight accusation caught her off guard. Bangalore almost let her stoic mask slip up.

“Had there been an opportunity to heal them, I would have.”

“You were right by Lifeline when she was bleeding out, yet you kept on fighting instead of pausing to help.”

Did she do that? But there wasn’t time, they were being attacked, reviving someone takes time.

“I’m sure you’re aware of the time it takes to heal someone back into fighting condition, and doing so while in the middle of a firefight is not the best strategy,” Bangalore evenly pushed back.

“You had your cover and a large enough opening to, yet you didn’t. Do you not value healing your own teammates?”

There was? But the shadows…Bangalore fought against her clouded memories.

“Bangalore made the best call all things considered,” Lifeline stepped forward and slightly in front of Bangalore. “She made us champions and if I had to spend a little time in a death box to get that I’m not complaining.”

The reporter was definitely annoyed at Lifeline stepping in on Bangalore’s behalf.

“Got any better questions to ask? Dinner will be starting soon, and I’m starving,” Lifeline smiled sweetly.

“Just one last one for Bangalore. Do you plan on attending the memorial for Dr. Johansson and pay your respects?”

Bangalore gritted her teeth. Now this was a sticky question, she had to answer very carefully.

“I don’t think their loved ones would want me there.”

With that Bangalore turned around and headed towards the tables set out. Thankfully the voice booming from the speakers began to call everyone to their seats to enjoy the wonderful meal that had been prepared.

Sixty tables, one for each games participant, if they survive, with twelve seats at each. Only the rich, famous, or those with inside connections can obtain one of these seats. Bangalore looked around at those that had been placed at her table. It was hard to know if they chose to be there because of her, or because all of the other places had been taken. The food arrived, and Bangalore was quickly reminded of how long it had been since she had a proper meal. Eating slow was hard, yet it helped her to savor the various flavors presented to her. Another good thing about the food was that it helped to cut down on the small talk. She could watch each of the various people at her table and take a strategic bite of food just as it seemed they would ask her a question. Most of the time it worked, but some persisted and pulled her into the conversation anyway.

As everyone was working on their dessert, large screen was projected onto the stage. The MC for the evening made his way to the center of the stage, tapping on his microphone to draw everyone’s attention.

“I hope you all enjoyed everything, I sure did!”

Cheers and applause rang out.

“Now before we present our top-ranking teams with their well-earned cash and medals, lets take a quick trip down memory lane and enjoy some of the highlights from the games! We’ve got some special footage this time, things that really show what makes the Apex Games the best around hands down.”

He moved off the stage as the loud theme music poured through the speakers and the lights in the event center dimmed. Clips from the initial interviews began to play in succession.

“Do I think I’m going to win? Of course! How could I afford to think otherwise?” Mirage said with his nervous chuckle.

“Let’s go man! I’m ready for this!” Octane, the speedster jumped around in his seat.

Quotes were given from most of the participants. Bangalore wanted to hide her face as she saw herself appear.

“You say it like there’s another option,” came her own voice. “I’m here to win end of story.”

Thankfully the highlight reel was up next, showing the highs and lows from each of the squads. It was quite satisfying to see her own squad being the one coming in to make another teams low moment. As they moved through the squads, Bangalore couldn’t help but feel nervous for what might be shown of her team. It started off innocently enough with them taking out a few squads. Watching herself vomiting blood after breathing in all that gas made her wince, but it was nothing compared to seeing Lifeline sitting in her lap doing her teasing check-up complete with hip roll. Bangalore’s face burned as she looked away, trying to ignore the chuckles and whispers drifting around the room. She almost wanted to look in the direction of Lifeline’s table, but she was probably enjoying herself and laughing along with everyone else. There was a short time of breathing room as more successful eliminations were pulled off by her team, but as they got closer to the finale, Bangalore’s jaw got tighter. This couldn’t end well. The music changed into something faster and peppy as a counter was displayed with sped up video focused on her keeping track of all the random times she shot at nonexistent enemies. It would zoom in on her wide-eyed face, and even pause with dramatic music whenever she had pointed her gun at one of her own teammates. The crowd was roaring with laughter as that humiliating video continued through all of the events of the finale and mocking her win with a 763 + ?? total displayed at the end. Bangalore wanted to crawl into a hole.

“No one can say you didn’t need all that ammo you were carrying!” the tipsy man next to her laughed as he clapped her back.

Bangalore almost punched the man, but the knowledge of knowing that the video had to be over was the only thing that kept her from doing so. The screen faded to black and Bangalore had almost relaxed when the familiar accented voice drifting through the speakers made her blood freeze.

_“Now, I’m only going to say this one last time. Where is Anita?”_

What?

It was played out like a horror mystery movie, the security camera footage cutting in and out at the perfect times to build up the tension as to what would happen next to Lifeline and Gibraltar clad in just their medical gowns as they entered her isolation cell. Now Bangalore was portrayed as a psycho killer, which wasn’t far from the truth at that point in time, as footage of her trying to attack her teammates was played. Bangalore couldn’t tear her eyes away. These were the missing hours, this was what she was doing.

_“I can’t beat them…no matter how hard I fight…”_

_“Ya can do it…”_ Lifeline’s whisper echoed through the room. _“I’ve seen ya survive so much.”_

_“Please…Ajay…”_

Bangalore couldn’t stand to hear her own sobbing voice, let alone see herself crying in Lifeline’s chest. Had she really done that?

The tone of the music shifted from there as it transitioned to the next set of embarrassing video clips. Instead of the tension and drama of the horror music, it was soft, sad, and ever so slightly romantic. Bangalore gritted her teeth as she watched.

_“N-no! Please! Don’t leave me!”_

She pathetically called out as she thrashed against the binds strapping her to the medical examination table.

_“I’m right here ‘Nita.”_

Lifeline had gotten close, very close, their foreheads almost touching as her hands stroked Bangalore’s tearstained cheeks.

_“It will be over soon, ya healing now.”_

The D.O.C. could be seen in the back with its chord attached to her, but that wasn’t the focus. Instead they kept it on them, showing Lifeline’s gentle caresses to her face and the calming words. Bangalore hated every second of it. She hated seeing herself depending on someone she knew she couldn’t trust. So this is what the MC had meant by saying they had “special footage”. All she wanted to do was stand up and leave.

The sad music finally shifted to the trademark theme for the Apex Games as the group photos for the top three teams were displayed. Bangalore wished she could hide behind her hands as the lights in the room were turned on again, she didn’t want to look anyone in the face and see them laughing at her. However, she needed to put on the show that she wasn’t so easily ruffled by the blatant invasion of privacy. Bangalore rolled her shoulders back and sat tall in her chair.

Third place got their rewards first, then second place. Dark brown eyes remained focused on the stage as she and her teammates were called up. At least applause was a nice change of pace from the laughter and mockery. Lifeline tried to make eye contact with her as they made their way to the stage, but Bangalore intentionally looked anywhere but in her direction. Bangalore kept her mask in place as they stood up on the stage and were given their medals and data chips with their prize money on it. She remained neutral even when they stood together for one last group shot and she felt Lifeline’s arm sliding around her waist and her own arm draping across Lifeline’s shoulders. As soon as they were out of the spotlight, Bangalore didn’t keep pace with anyone else. Tables were being cleared off and shifted to the side, opening up the floor for more social activities. Bangalore made her way towards those in charge. She had one thing she wanted to do to help lift the weight that had settled on her shoulders. Fingers gripped the data pad tighter. That prize money would have helped so much. At least she still had enough left from the first win to keep her afloat for the next few months.

Cool air rushed around her as she stood on one of the balconies nursing her one and only drink for the night. Relative peace and quiet at last. The party would go on for another couple of hours, then she could make her way towards the place she had been staying at.

“Thought I’d find ya here,” Lifeline’s sweet accent drifted from behind, accompanied by the soft click of heels on the stone.

Bangalore lifted her drink up to take another sip of the fiery liquid.

A soft sigh “‘Nita…”

“Go away.”

The heels continued to approach until she could see Lifeline out of the corner of her eye, leaning sideways on the balcony, facing her. A hand reached out to rub her shoulder. Bangalore moved away. She didn’t want to feel those hands on her. Hurt shone in light hazel eyes for a split second.

“‘Nita…”

“Stop calling me that.”

Lifeline rolled her eyes and leaned back on the balcony.

“They were going to use that footage, they are in the entertainment industry and it creates a lot to talk about.”

“Fuck you,” Bangalore snapped. “You weren’t the one they were all laughing at. You weren’t the one shown as the psycho killer turned pathetic cry baby.”

“No, I just got reduced to a stereotypical woman healing her damaged love.”

“You chose to be that close; it would have been half as interesting if you just treated me like everyone else.”

“‘Nita,” Lifeline almost purred as she took a step closer, her hand raising up brushing across her right shoulder. “Humans need physical contact.”

Bangalore tried to back a step back, but the curve of the balcony cut her off short. She could already feel the warmth from the other woman and smell her enticing perfume.

“If there’s one thing I learned was how well it worked to help you calm down and how starved you are for it.”

Lifeline took another step forward and slipped her arms around Bangalore’s waist. Hands crawled up her tense back only to then press against her shoulder blades as the space between their bodies disappeared. Lifeline rested her head on Bangalore’s chest, right over her hammering heart. She was frozen, unable to move, unable to embrace or pull away from the warm hug.

“How long has it been ‘Nita?”

All of her words were caught in her throat. This was the last thing she had expected to happen. Lifeline should have reacted angrily.

“How long has it been since someone held you? Since someone was gentle with you?”

Hands began to trace wide massaging circles into the tight muscles that covered her back, sliding up and down, brushing against her sides more than once. Each touch felt heavenly, even the feeling of someone pressed up against her was intoxicating. Bangalore flinched when Lifeline shifted so her face was in the crook of her neck. One hand shifted to the upper part of her chest, gently rubbing it and her shoulder. Bangalore swallowed thickly.

“How long has it been since you’ve been kissed or shared a passionate night with someone?”

Warm breath against her neck, sweet words beckoning her to give in and answer. Answer with her lips or her actions. Bangalore slowly tilted her hand down to look at the woman hugging her.

No…

This was a trap.

The drink in her hand was carefully set on the wide balcony. Bangalore then forced her hands in between them and swiftly shoved Lifeline away from her. Wide light hazel eyes quickly narrowed as anger flared up in them.

“So this is your game,” Bangalore growled ignoring her flushed face. “You just want to get in my pants.”

“You clearly need it,” Lifeline shot back, her cheeks just as dark.

“And you think I’d do it with the very person who stranded me on this planet?”

“I spared you!”

“You tortured me! For days!”

“And ya would have been dead if it hadn’t been for me. I wasn’t the one who decided to capture ya and use ya, I was just the one who did all of the dirty work.”

“Do you see me being all chummy with Mirage or Caustic? They know how to keep their distance from me, but you want me in your bed thanking you for being soooo kind,” Bangalore punctuated the sentence with an eyeroll.

Lifeline pulled back slightly as if the words had hit her.

“I didn’t have to ask about ya when I woke up!” She took a fast step forward. “I could have ignored ya absence and just figured ya show up at the meeting time just like everyone else! I didn’t have to go blindly into a room and situation and then work for hours afterwards to help ya heal!”

“Then why did you?” Bangalore narrowed her eyes at Lifeline.

“Because for some fucking reason I care about what happens to ya!”

“I think you’re confusing ‘caring’ with ‘wanting to fuck’.”

“Oh ya think so highly of ya self huh?” Lifeline turned defensive.

“What was the whole point of asking when the last time I fucked with someone?”

“I was just going to prescribe ya with advice to jerk off every now and then.”

That was a shoddy cover. Lifeline was lying through her teeth and they both knew it.

“That’s none of your fucking business!” Bangalore’s anger was bursting at the seams.

Lifeline made a face. “Yeesh, ya really are wound super tight.” She pulled out her communication device. “Here, I’ll do ya a favor and put ya in contact with someone who can help ya out. A trusted friend, don’t worry.”

“You think I’m that stupid? I don’t trust you and I don’t want anything to do with you or any of your so called ‘trusted friends’.”

“Suit ya self,” Lifeline rolled her eyes and put away her communication device. “I’ll let ya and ya miserable self be.” She began to walk away, purposefully swaying hips, only stopping to throw one last comment over her shoulder. “I look forward to when I see ya again and get to put a bullet through ya head.” Lifeline finished with a wink and a finger gun firing once at Bangalore.

As soon as the infuriating woman was back in the main room Bangalore paced around, her seething anger barely contained. Finishing her drink did little to take the edge off of it so Bangalore resorted to doing as many pushups and air squats as she could. Thankfully the clothes Gibraltar had gotten her were partially made with stretchy fibers so she didn’t have to worry about tearing anything as she worked towards her fiftieth pushup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day Anita might get a break...one day......maybe....  
> Some nice tension there :>  
> Hope you all enjoyed!


	14. Wanting

A bead of condensation ran down the outside of the cold, rocks glass until it touched the cork coaster and was absorbed by the porous material. Fingers grabbed the half full glass by the rim and lifted it up towards a pair of round lips. The amber liquid was tipped forward so a long sip could be taken from it. More beads of condensation ran down as the glass was almost dropped back onto the cork coaster.

Lifeline breathed out harshly through her nose. Fingers began to swirl the rocks glass around on its edge before bringing it up for another sip. The burn from the scotch raced down her esophagus. Off to her side her untouched plate of grilled vegetables and lizard steak had gone stone cold. She wanted to get drunk. She wanted to stew in her misery until something made her feel better. The last of her glass was finished off and she signaled to the bartender for them to bring her another one.

As she sipped on her fourth drink a familiar figured appeared in her peripherals. Now was not the time nor the place to have to deal with them, yet Lifeline didn’t want to put in the effort move from her spot. They came and sat down next to her of course and proceeded to order a simple drink. One more minute of peace passed by before the older man spoke up.

“What’s going on Ajay?”

Lifeline took another sip. “You tell me Owen.”

“I sent you back early so you could rest for the next games.”

“I thought it was because I was being too ‘callous’ with the patients,” Lifeline made finger quotes.

“I didn’t want you to hurt anyone.”

“Can’t hurt people when I’m healing them can I?”

“You and I both know you can hurt a patient even while treating them.”

Lifeline simply shrugged and took another sip.

“What’s going on? You’ve been off since the last Apex Games. Are you sure you want to participate in this next one? Maybe you need a break.”

Lifeline slammed her drink down and faced the older man. “I’m not taking a fucking break! I’m going in and I’m going to destroy everyone that crosses my path!”

Owen sighed and looked at her, worry etched into his wrinkled face.

Lifeline brought her drink to her lips. “Especially that smug faced…”

The rest of her sentence was cut off as she took a long drink.

“So, someone then?” he remarked as he took a sip of his own drink.

No answer. Lifeline could feel how foggy her mind was getting, but she wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. Another drink was ordered.

“Ajay…” Owen faced her. “I’m worried about you.”

Half open eyes stared down into the full glass just centimeters from her mouth. Another swig of the burning liquid was downed.

“Ya remember that IMC supply cash we emptied out?”

“Yeah, took us a long time to use all of that up.”

“Ya remember my little IMC friend I had with me?” Lifeline swirled her glass, her chin resting in the palm of her other hand as she watched it.

“The one that was tied up the whole night?”

Lifeline nodded. “I tortured her until she surrendered the location and access code to the supply cache. She held out for a few days.”

Owen shrugged, not understanding why this person was important.

“She’s Bangalore.”

“Wait-what?!” Owen shook his head and leaned forward. “That IMC soldier is Bangalore?” he whispered.

“Yup,” Lifeline popped the “p”.

“You didn’t tie her off properly?!”

“Didn’t want to.”

“Why? That’s extremely dangerous. You’re lucky she hasn’t tried to kill you outside of the games. How-”

“I want to fuck her,” she cut him off.

Owen pulled back and blinked. Lifeline paid him little mind as she took another long drink.

“What?”

“I want to feel her next to me, her lips on mine. No barriers, no weapons, just us and ungh!” Lifeline threw her head back and moaned.

The older man was looking at her like she was crazy, but that’s really what had been bothering her. Her aching desire for Bangalore despite the fact that the woman wanted nothing to do with her. Fuck she’d be happy with just a kiss.

“I take it she’s not interested?” Owen said slowly.

“Can’t trust me, don’t want to get close to me. And I can’t get her out of my head.”

“I see…”

A long pause was given. Lifeline began to wonder if she had made a good decision by admitting that. Those were some of the drawbacks of getting drunk, speaking her mind without thinking through the consequences was one of them. Thankfully, Owen was a trusted friend, someone she knew would keep a secret.

“Why her though? There’s any number of other people you could be with.”

“The dating pool isn’t very big for starters, and then most of them turn into fans of ya it just makes things awkward. But there’s more to it than that.” Light hazel eyes watched as she swirled her glass fast enough that it created a mini vortex. “I got to witness her at her lowest and was still impressed by how strong she was. And then to make it back from it on her own and win the Apex Games two times in a row? Not many can do that.”

Owen sighed.

“And ya have to admit Owen, she’s hot as fuck! Just look at that face of hers!”

“I’m not denying your attraction to her,” Owen raised his hands up. “But I think the history between the two of you will make it hard for you to get close.”

“I already know that,” Lifeline sighed as she finished off her glass.

“C’mon, I’ll have the bartender make you a new meal and then we can get you home.”

Lifeline accepted the comforting arm around her shoulder and leaned into the side hug. She was tired, and hungry.

The number of people that wanted to try and beat her into a pulp increased after the awards ceremony. That wasn’t surprising, neither was the number of them claiming to be taking revenge for Dr. Johansson. Bangalore was doubtful on if that many people actually knew them and cared versus just using it as their justification for trying to kill her. It wasn’t her place to judge though, she’d never know who all were impacted by the loss. Some nights after finishing a fight and looking at how badly she fared, she’d almost regret giving away all of her recent winnings to the deceased doctor’s family. Doctors made good money as evident for the medical bills she got every time she went in to get herself fixed up. They wouldn’t be nearly as strapped for cash as she was. Then again who was she to judge? They could have had debts, student loans, been paid poorly for their work at the Apex Games, been supporting a family that had medical or psychological issues, or something else completely different.

Bangalore didn’t regret it, not even as she was lying in a pile of trash in the middle of an alley with a bloody face and several new large bruises forming on her torso. At her feet lay a few unconscious punks, the latest set to try and challenge her. Slightly dazed dark brown eyes looked up at the night sky. A half moon, a full moon, and billions of stars glittered between the grey clouds. Maybe she deserved it. The beatings, the insults, and being turned away by those that owned establishments. Her hands weren’t clean. She had been in her share of the wars. She had killed those that had been defending the lives of the people living on this and many other planets. She wore the uniform and served the corporation that caused so much pain and destruction all in the name of profit. Bangalore closed her eyes and let out a long sigh before opening them back up. The punks would be waking up soon and she didn’t want to be around for round two.

With a grunt and a wince Bangalore stood up. Gloved hands brushed the trash off and booted feet made their way to the opening of the alley. Wearing her combat attire was the status quo for her even if it was her pieced together outfit instead of the IMC issued gear. It proved to be a lifesaver on a daily basis so her habit wasn’t going to be changing any time soon. A handkerchief was pulled out to wipe off the blood on her face. She found that people were more willing to try and pick a fight with her if they knew she had already been through one. With the obvious blood taken care of, Bangalore made use of her latest purchase. A hood. Great for protecting from the rain or scorching sun and for obscuring her identity. While her outfit was easier to recognize, a downside of becoming more well known in the games, the hood helped her to blend in more with the crowds.

Bangalore weaved through the nighttime crowd, hopping on a couple of hover trams to get to where she had been staying for the past few months. After making sure that no one was following her, she slipped down the narrow street and headed right into a small apartment unit. The landlord was an older woman who had been looking for a tenant that would pay their rent and keep quiet. Since Bangalore was gone most of the day, had no friends to bring over, and always paid on time, she didn’t mind having the former IMC soldier staying there. Bangalore checked over her shoulders one last time as she approached the door to her small apartment. No one in sight except for a little kid five meters to her nine. She had seen them once or twice and figured that they probably lived with the couple next door. Normally they didn’t interact.

“Psst, hey…!” the quiet voice called out to her.

Normally…

Bangalore wanted to pretend like she hadn’t heard them.

“Hey…are you Bangalore?”

Her heart stopped for a solid three seconds as her hand hovered over the DNA lock to her door. Out of the corner of her eye she quickly examined the kid. Small, probably eight years old, wasn’t holding any sort of electronic device that could possibly record a picture or video of her, no bags, pockets or artificial limbs that could hide that either. The threat seemed minimal, but she could never be too careful. She needed to carefully plan out her next move. Option one ignore the kid and confirm nothing. Potential risks, kid already knowing and saying something to their friends which would then spread to adults and she’d have people coming after her at her one safe haven. Option two, talk to the kid and confirm. Potential risks, kid hates her and tells everyone they know where she lives or extorts her for money to keep them quiet. Options three, talk to the kid and lie. Potential risks similar to the first option but with added danger of being caught in a lie. Bangalore sighed, none of them were good options.

“I’m just curious, you look a lot like her.”

She had been silent long enough for the kid to notice and speak up again. This wasn’t going well.

“Depends on who is asking?” Bangalore internally winced at how rough her voice came out.

“Just me. Bangalore is my new favorite Legend, she’s super cool!”

Bangalore wanted it to be genuine, but she also knew how kids could be manipulated by adults to get information out of someone.

“I get that a lot.”

The kids face fell.

Now she felt bad.

“You tell anyone she’s your favorite?”

“Yeah…the other kids made fun of me…”

There was definitely more to that sentence, but Bangalore knew better than to pry.

“Sorry about that kid.”

“Who is your favorite Legend?” the kid shifted the conversation to her, brightening up a little. “Is it Bangalore too?”

Bangalore was caught for a moment unable to speak. “It’s Gibraltar actually, he’s nice.” Bangalore opened the door and paused. “He helped me out one time.” With that she quickly entered her apartment and locked the door behind her.

A heavy breath was let out now that she was in the relative safety of her apartment. She’d know in a day or two if she fucked up by talking to the kid. Piece by piece she removed her gear, prepping for a shower. Cold water was always hard to handle for the first few seconds, but after that it always felt nice. Fresh underwear and bandages were applied soon after she stepped out of the shower. Bangalore paused to look at herself in the small bathroom mirror. Fingers ran over the darkening bruises appearing on her stomach and ribs. Eyes then focused on the bandages covering the new cuts in her face. All injuries she could easily heal from without needing any medical assistance, thankfully. She walked away from the mirror and into her tiny bedroom where a simple cot was laid out with a hiking backpack next to it. The extent of her belongings aside from her two guns. Her P2020 was under her pillow as always, and her G7 scout was hidden inside of the walls of the bedroom. Both were pieced together from the aircraft wreckage and worked as smoothly as one that had just rolled off the production lines. While it had been tempting to carry her P2020 to deter people from fighting her, it would have escalated everything to a gun fight versus a fist fight. She wasn’t keen on creating a pile of bodies, so sticking to the fists was her only option.

Bangalore dug through her bag for her night clothes, pausing when she felt the familiar fabric located near the bottom. The uniform was pulled out and held up. It unfolded, showing off all of the holes and tears in it. Most of them from the crash and the subsequent hostage situation, but a number were from afterwards. Dark brown eyes were drawn to the IMC symbols located on it. Scenes flashed by in her mind’s eye, memories of her time serving the IMC and everything that the company had meant to her and her family. A frown pulled her round lips down. It was hard to define exactly how she felt about the IMC now. Bangalore pushed the train of thought away and examined the condition of the outfit. Even with the holes it would make a great under armor, she could even try to patch some of them up. Bangalore folded it up and put it away. The next time she was out shopping she would look for some supplies to fix it up. Before reaching in the main compartment of her bag for her night clothes, Bangalore went to a small zipper pocket and pulled out her dog tags. She plopped down on her bed as she held the metal tags in her hand. They had been with her since the day she had started her service. Since Ajay had taken her chip and had no foreseeable intentions of returning it, they were the one piece that would prove who she was if she did make it back home. The cool metal was secured around her neck; bringing a bit of familiarity and comfort to the woman. Bangalore laid down on her bed, pulled the blanket over her, and closed her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed!


	15. A Rejected Attempt

Normally Bangalore steered clear of the sparring ring at the Apex training complex as she tended to count her street fights as viable practice. However, today she admitted that actually sparring against her competitors and getting used to their level of fighting was better than fighting random, usually drunk, people. Sparring one-on-one against a number of the other legends proved to be challenging, educational, and painful. The painful part was emphasized by the nasty kick that Gibraltar had delivered to her torso, successfully knocking her down and leaving her wide open for his finishing move. Fortunately, Gibraltar halted his shield before slamming down on her head.

“Good match Bangalore,” came his deep laugh as he helped her to her feet.

“You too,” Bangalore tried to stand to her full height, but ended up wincing instead. Her bruises from the street fight the day before had some new friends in the makings.

“You know you can get patched up between matches, right?”

“Yes, but that costs money and this helps to train me to keep on fighting even when injured.”

Gibraltar threw his head back and laughed. “Suit yourself, though maybe try not to fight everyone in one day.”

Bangalore had to chuckle at that. She had fought a good number of people today. First off was the speed demon Octane, then the young scientist Wattson, then the elusive Mirage, and most recently the sturdy Gibraltar. To say the least she had gotten her fair share of injuries for the day.

“I’ll at least take a break before my next one.”

They parted ways as Gibraltar headed for the firing range and Bangalore went to one of the exercise rooms to stretch and rest a little. Being on the champion squad and being the last person standing for the past two games meant that those in the Apex training grounds generally treated her with a little more respect than the public. Here she could actually relax without having to constantly watch her back. The ample security cameras and rules against trying to take out one’s competition outside of the games definitely helped. That being said, she still kept an eye out whenever someone came into her space.

Two hours later Bangalore headed back to the sparring ring, hoping to get a couple more matches in before heading off to the firing range. She didn’t even look up to see who was heading into the ring to face off against her and by the looks of the person’s face, neither did she. Lifeline smiled awkwardly as she lifted her fists up and began to bounce on the balls of her feet.

“Looks like it’s just us two this time,” Lifeline casually tossed out.

Bangalore stepped closer, her own fists brought to her face, dark brown eyes narrowing. Nothing was said in response, but a smirk slipped onto her lips. Oh how she couldn’t wait for the bell to ring.

“Not going to say nothing?” Lifeline tried again. “Going to let ya fists do the talking? Let’s see if ya can even land a hit.”

Her confidence was admirable, and for the first minute or two Bangalore considered Lifeline a threat in the ring. The first couple of testing jabs were avoided effortlessly and the returning punches were swift with good form. Bangalore weaved away from the latest punch thrown to her face and returned with a fast cross. Few words could describe how satisfying it was to hear the impact and hear the grunt of pain forced out of Lifeline’s lips as the punch connected with her face. Bangalore moved in and delivered two body shots before stepping back as Lifeline let loose a flurry of punches.

“Nice hit ‘Nita,” Lifeline tried to sound unaffected.

Bangalore took that moment to rush and deliver another combo. Lifeline managed to avoid all but the last punch, a hit to the gut that made her suck in air as her eyes bulged out. The taunts were nonexistent after that. Strikes were traded back and forth, sweat and blood began to run down heated skin. Bangalore wound up again and delivered a sharp roundhouse to Lifeline’s leading leg. When the leg buckled and Lifeline’s defenses slipped for a moment, Bangalore swooped in to take full advantage of it and performed her own “check-up” on Lifeline. Each spot she hit the word would ring out in her mind, but never past her lips.

Liver.

Jaw.

Upper arm.

Nose.

Quadricep.

Stomach.

Side.

Other side.

Bangalore pushed forward with each unblocked strike, her boiling rage towards the woman threatening to explode. Every cry of pain to was to make up for every one that Lifeline had forced past her lips. Every drop of blood was to atone for all of her blood Lifeline had spilt. The feeling of the soft flesh caving under the force of each strike was the best therapy Bangalore had in a very long time.

Lifeline struggled to stand after getting kicked down for the fourth time. Wary light hazel eyes watched Bangalore’s every move. Shaking fists were raised up.

“Trouble finishing ‘Nita? Or ya just don’t want to?”

Bangalore smirked. “No, just enjoying beating the shit out of you, why end such a good time so early?”

No response was given as Bangalore swiftly pushed forward with another combo. Most of her strikes landed creating new bruises and a nice cut on Lifeline’s face. Lifeline’s body was jerked this way and that as Lifeline’s determination to absorb or block all of the hits was steadily crumbling. Bangalore didn’t hold back for a moment.

Cross.

Jab.

Hook.

Jab.

Hook.

Hook.

Front kick.

Lifeline’s trembling form flew back and with the help of a well-placed takedown, Bangalore grabbed the smaller woman, threw her over her shoulder, and slammed her hard on the floor of the ring. Lifeline laid there, covered in blood, gasping for breath, and lacking the strength to stand back up. Satisfied with her beat down, Bangalore stood tall and walked away.

“Maybe next time I’ll tie one hand behind my back,” Bangalore tossed over her shoulder before she slipped through the rope fence that surrounded the ring.

Lifeline had the most pathetic look on her face as she struggled to sit up and Bangalore reveled in it. Now she knew what it felt like to receive a “check-up”.

Five hours later Bangalore found herself sitting against the wall of any empty stretching room considering that she might have overdone it that day. After her one-sided match against Lifeline, she had done three more. Two were FNGs, but the final one was against Bloodhound and that one took a lot out of her. They were a very worthy opponent. A hand was braced against the floor as she tried to shift into a slightly more comfortable position. Every movement made her grunt in pain. It really was a stupid move to do so many matches, she still needed to make it home and if she got jumped her chances of winning were slim. Bangalore breathed out heavily and closed her eyes. Maybe she could stay here for the night, or maybe she could pay the fee for a patch up job. If she just stayed in this room no one would notice right?

The sound of the door opening made her tense up. One eye was partially opened to see who it was. Maybe if she stayed absolutely still they wouldn’t notice her. A redhead with two buns on the top of their head poked into the room and turned around until they spotted her. Of course… Lifeline entered the room fully and began to walk towards her, the D.O.C. hovering behind her as usual. Just that sight of Lifeline walking towards her while she was sitting against a wall in a lot of pain gave Bangalore terrible flashbacks. Instantly she was on her feet with her fists raised to her face. She never wanted to be in that position again with Lifeline.

“Breathe easy ‘Nita, I’m not here for a rematch.”

“Too bad, I was looking forward to wiping the floor with your face again.”

Lifeline stopped a meter or so from Bangalore and raised an eyebrow at her as light hazel eyes looked up her body. Bangalore became acutely aware of how injured she was in comparison to the smaller woman. All of the bruising and cuts Bangalore had dished out to Lifeline were nonexistent. She was standing there as fresh as if she had just woken up and yet Bangalore was standing on aching legs, holding up trembling arms, covered in bruises and cuts. It was like all of Bangalore’s strikes hadn’t even affected Lifeline and she was still at a disadvantage.

“I’m surprised to be finding ya here instead of at the sparring ring, but considering how you are faring it makes sense.”

“Why are you stalking me?” Bangalore growled. She was tired of having to deal with Lifeline always showing up everywhere.

“I’m not-!” Lifeline sighed and rubbed the side of her forehead. “Yes it does look like that, but I only went looking for ya because a little Gibby told me ya weren’t getting healed up after training.”

“So?” Bangalore shrugged.

“So?! I know the public isn’t fond of ya and I know how hard it is to fight when ya already hurt.”

“How would you know that? You just have your D.O.C. heal you right up after every match.”

“I don’t always have time to in the- Arrggh! Ya always so combative, I just want to offer to patch ya up!” Lifeline snapped.

“Where in our history has it not been combative?”

“It doesn’t have to be like that.”

Bangalore scoffed. “I’m not giving you my money.”

“I’m not asking for money OR favors. I just wanted to help ya.”

She didn’t believe it and she was too tired to deal with Lifeline anymore today. Bangalore began to head towards the door.

“I’d rather eat shit than accept your help. Don’t know why you keep trying to offer it.”

There was definite hurt in those light hazel eyes as they watched her walk away. Lifeline looked at the floor.

“I’m trying to make up for what I did to ya.”

It was spoken so softly that Bangalore almost missed it. Footsteps paused for a moment as she waited to hear what Lifeline might say next.

“For hurting ya, torturing ya, and treating ya life like a tool.”

Hands clenched into fists. It was far too late for an apology.

“You’re the reason I didn’t make it back home and am now stuck here fighting for my life. You can’t make up for that.” Bangalore continued her march towards the door.

Hurried footsteps chased her from behind.

“At least let me try!” came the plead.

Bangalore opened the door and paused to glance over her shoulder.

“No.”

With that she exited the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

The muscular figure shifted under a heavy blanket, a groan drifting past lips. Closed eyes scrunched as arms attempted to push her into a sitting position but decided to give out instead. Every bruise from yesterday could be felt. Every cut stung. Every sore muscle complained at the slightest movement. Bangalore breathed out harshly and resumed laying in her bed. Part of her wanted to kick her pride, it was a pretty stupid move to decline Lifeline’s offer. Her pride pushed back reminding her that she couldn’t trust such an offer to not come with strings. Even when it was said there were not strings, there always were. The second attempt to get up was successful, painful, but successful. For the next hour Bangalore stretched her sore muscles and drank a liter of water. Today was going to be a rest day. A rest day from training, sparring, and fighting in the streets. She checked her cupboards for food and only found a few roots, legumes, and fruits native to the planet. Today would be a cook a random type of meatless stew kind of day. At least she didn’t have to go to the grocery store. Bangalore looked at her digital calendar. Only three weeks until the next games. Two weeks of standard training, then one week of light training and lots of rest. The calendar was set to the side as Bangalore stared at the raw food, the small array of spices, and the one pot she had. Now she just had to figure out how to make this into a palatable meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much in this chapter, but things will get interesting again I promise ;)


	16. The Unofficial Squad

_“This is your champion.”_

Bangalore stood there on the platform next to her two teammates as they were preparing to get dropped into the arena. The gold frame around her banner looked good and she had every intention of keeping it there. She glanced over her teammates’ stats. They weren’t new to the games, but neither of them had made much of an impact in the number of times they had played. Bangalore watched as other teams began to drop down, making small notes of where they might be. Their jumpmaster took their time and picked a location on the perimeter. Good for potentially gearing up well without a mad firefight, but also had the risk of having to run from the ring. Wind rushed through her curly hair as they dropped down. Dark brown eyes closed for a moment and enjoyed the exhilarating freefall and the small moment of peace before the games began. When they opened, Bangalore’s face was set and serious, ready to take the championship.

The first day went well, only one small run in with another squad that was finished off with a bit of stress. It was obvious though as Bangalore was helping to revive her teammates after finishing off the opponents that she’d be the one pulling most of the weight. At least they knew how to shoot and gear up properly.

Night time was calm and quiet. While it would have been a great chance to get some rest, Bangalore found it impossible to do so. It was too quiet and it reminded her far too much of the spooky place that had existed in her hallucinations. She took up the watch position as her teammates rested, eyes constantly scanning the area for any threat. Several times she swore she saw one of those shadowy figures in her peripherals, but she just had to hold her fire and shake her head. They were not real.

Bullets were coming from her nine and six, making good work of her sturdy armor and cutting into her once it failed. She pulled her smoke canon down and launched some cover as she sprinted towards the wooden building, pushing through the pain. In there she might have a chance to heal herself and recover her teammates banners. If she was even more lucky the squad would leave and not hunt her down. A fast slide through the green grass and a few more steps got her inside of the structure. Bangalore shut the door and found a corner to hide in. So far so good, now all she needed to do was heal up using the couple of syringes she still had. Shaky hands reached back into the section of her backpack she had stored them in and pulled both syringes out. As she laid her eyes on them, her gut sank. Both of them had been broken and had leaked their healing fluid all over her backpack. Eyes fell to the pool of blood slowly growing beneath her. Had she taken that many hits already? Useless syringes fell from her limp hand. Was this how she was going to go out? Bleeding out while hiding in a corner? She hadn’t even made it into the top 15 squads.

Sounds of combat echoed all around her. A third squad must have swooped in to finish off the one that she had lost to. The sky roared with the sound of Gibraltar’s bombardment and the earth began to shake seconds later as it crashed down. Bangalore braced herself against the wooden walls and hoped that she wouldn’t get hit. When the fighting stopped several minutes later, she glanced at her map and remaining time before the ring was supposed to close. If the winning team cleared out quickly without noticing her, she should have enough time to pick through the scraps, hopefully find a syringe, and make it to the next ring. Recovering her teammates banners was no longer an option unfortunately, both of them had already timed out and were due to be picked up by the managers of the games in an hour. A heavy breath was let out as she reloaded her weapon and held it up, training it on the door in her sights. If anyone did come through, she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Eventually everything became quiet as the number of squads remaining dropped by one. Bangalore was having a harder time keeping her gun up. Fatigue was seeping through her body with each drop of blood she lost. She could only wait so much longer. Five more minutes, then she was going to risk heading out there to loot whatever remained.

Unsteady legs continued forward in the crouched position, getting closer step by step to the closest death box. Bangalore practically fell down next to it. A string of curses was let out when it didn’t contain any syringes or anything that she could use. Her gun was slung over her shoulder as hands pressed against her largest bullet wound. If she couldn’t find any syringes she’d need to apply her first aid knowledge to help her last until she did. Bangalore sucked in a deep breath and stood up. She found the next death box and headed for it. Knees hit the ground right in front of it. Yet again her terrible luck had followed her. While there were still three more death boxes out there, she had doubts if she could even make it to them now. Bangalore sat against the rock next to the death box and worked to undo the wraps around her forearms to use as a makeshift bandage. The splash of rapid footsteps in the water near her made her freeze. The wraps were instantly dropped as she pulled out her R-99. For a moment the sounds stopped, but they resumed again moments later. Only one set. A potential lone wolf running around looting the death boxes. Bangalore scanned the area making sure no one else had shown up as she kept track of the one with her ears. Step by step they were getting closer. Bangalore aimed the one spot where she’d most likely see them first. Trembling arms struggled to hold up the weapon, making the barrel drop down towards the ground. Teeth were gritted and it was forced back up.

A figure dashed into view and Bangalore opened fire. Half of the clip dug into the ground by the person’s feet. Baggy cargo pants jumped to the side and danced around for a moment. Rage filled Bangalore as she focused on the opponent. She tried to lift her gun up, but she was betrayed by her arm as the weapon was simply dropped to the ground instead. Huffing and puffing she continued to fight against her exhaustion, reaching for her knife and then attempting to throw it at the infuriating woman. The knife missed completely and ended up in the dirt only a few meters away from her.

“Ya really like shooting the dirt don’t ya?” Lifeline teased as she kept her gun pointed at Bangalore.

No, she was not going down like this not to HER of all the competitors. Bangalore continued to struggle, trying to reach into her pack for her grenades she still had. Hands wrapped around the thermite grenade and pulled it out, ready to throw at any second. However, Lifeline had moved closer making it a very unwise decision to throw the grenade since the spray of fire would burn her too.

“Hold on, I just want to talk for a moment Bangalore.”

An eyebrow was raised up. The use of her call sign versus the annoying nickname was noted. Lifeline had plenty of time to finish her off by now, so why hadn’t she? Bangalore kept her grenade up and remained silent.

“Ya the last of ya squad?”

“Who knows?” Bangalore tossed back, her voice sounding far more strained than she wanted it to.

Lifeline huffed. “Two of the boxes here have your squad number on them.”

Shit…well the chances of that bluff working were already slim.

“Anyways,” Lifeline continued, “so am I and I was thinking that maybe we can have a truce for a moment?”

“You think I’m stupid?!?”

“Look I could finish ya off right now and continue on my own with a slightly better ranking, but my chances of getting too much farther in the games are slim. Why not try teaming up with someone I know is skilled and we both get a better placement in the games?”

Bangalore gritted her teeth.

“I’ll fix ya up, we get going to the next ring and work together from there. If we get stuck in a losing firefight, then neither of us have an obligation to the other and can do what we think is best for ourselves.”

Her arm was slowly falling to the side, unable to keep holding the grenade up. The amount of blood soaked into her clothes was still increasing.

“What makes you think I won’t put a bullet in your head as soon as you heal me?” Bangalore countered.

“Because we have a common goal and ya smart.”

“We don’t have a common-”

“Money,” Lifeline cut her off.

Bangalore shut her mouth.

“We both are here for the money. The higher ranked we end up, the more we will get. And I’m sure ya teammates nor mine will mind that.”

“Isn’t it against the rules?”

“Nope, people team up with opponents at their own risk.”

“I can’t trust you,” Bangalore lowly spoke. She had given up on holding up the grenade and had shifted to keeping pressure on the bleeding wound.

Lifeline sighed, put away her rifle, and pulled out a wingman as she crouched right in front of Bangalore. Much to her surprise. Lifeline put the wingman in her hand, helped to hold Bangalore’s weak arm up, pointed the muzzle of the gun right between her eyes, and flipped off the safety.

“Ya choose. Either work with me, or pull the trigger right now and take me out,” Lifeline stated as her light hazel eyes stared right into wide dark browns.

Bangalore swallowed, her finger moving to rest on the small curved piece of metal. It was impossible to look away from those eyes. They had a seriousness to them Bangalore had never really seen before. Could she trust her? There was no way. Yet she still couldn’t pull the trigger despite knowing this one shot would easily finish Lifeline off. She needed the money and Lifeline was a competent teammate. Maybe they wouldn’t get in the top 3, but they would get a lot more money than where they both were now. Bangalore moved her finger off the trigger and pulled her hand away from the gun.

“I better not regret teaming up with you,” Bangalore decided.

Lifeline smirked as she put away the gun. “Lets get ya patched up, ring’s closing soon and we got a few kilometers before the next one.”

A hand was extended to her. With a second of hesitation Bangalore grabbed it and then was pulled to her feet. She stumbled forward almost falling back down when Lifeline smoothly slipped under her arm and wrapped one around her waist.

“Lets get in some cover first. Best to not be a sitting duck any more than the one hanging up on a wall of a pub, right?”

Bangalore was speechless for a moment, that was one of her lines.

They went into the wooden shelter Bangalore had hidden in. Lifeline laid her down and began to dig through her pouches instead of activating her drone. A large syringe was handed to her. Bangalore accepted it and shot it into her wrist. Moments later she was recharging her body armor with the shield cells Lifeline had given her. It was so weird for them to be standing there together. Two opponents deciding to work together. She had no idea how Lifeline was so calm about it.

“Ya ready to get moving? That ring is creeping closer and I don’t like how it burns.”

Bangalore managed to nod. They headed out of the shelter, made one last pass over the death boxes, then pushed on forward towards the second ring. Dark brown eyes glanced to the side at Lifeline again. A thank you rested on her lips, but she couldn’t find the breath to verbalize it. Bangalore focused on the area ahead of them. There was always a squad waiting around the edge of a ring to pick people off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How far will they make it with just the two of them?
> 
> Also stay safe and healthy everyone! And look out for those who may need a helping hand in these times.


	17. Shadows in the Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter for a brief get away from reality.

There was this odd sense of déjà vu working together with Lifeline, the only thing missing was Gibraltar to break up the tension. While Lifeline still teased her and joked around, the flirting and invasions of personal space had gone down several notches. Most of what they talked about were their observations and plans for moving in on the next area they came across. Since they weren’t on the same squad their intercoms were not synchronized with each other leaving shouting and talking to be their only ways to communicate. They kept the shouting to a minimum, the last thing they wanted to do was call a squad’s attention to their location. So they moved around together looting buildings and supply bins.

The squad waiting at a small pass between the mountains into the next ring proved to have some skill on finding good places to hide, but their marksmanship was terrible. Bangalore had little trouble finishing one of them off. When she went after the next member of the squad Lifeline’s fire joined hers and they were mowed down before they could reload.

“Dusted the last of them,” Bangalore couldn’t help but smirk as the total number of squads dropped to 14.

“See we make a good team. I’m sure I could have taken all 3 of them, but would have cost me,” Lifeline commented as she went through the death box in front of her.

“You know how to shoot, which evidently is a rare skill. Did they even try going to the firing range?”

Lifeline snorted. Bangalore regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

“Ya so critical of people and how they handle guns, not all of us grew up with them soldier girl.”

Bangalore sputtered for a moment. “It makes sense to train with the objects you’re going to be using in a fight!”

“Two months ain’t nothing compared to years,” Lifeline tossed over her shoulder as she moved away from the death boxes. “I’m going to check that building,” she motioned with her head.

“I’ll check out that one then,” Bangalore pointed to the one next to it.

She had only gotten into the lower level of her building when the telltale pop and hiss of a tripped gas trap came from the building Lifeline was in. Adrenaline shot through her veins as she sprinted back, gun raised and trained on the green gas seeping out from the second floor. However, before she could open fire, Lifeline stumbled out of one of the doors, coughing and waving her hand in front of her face. Dark brown eyes noted her relaxed posture and lowered gun.

“One of _-cough-_ Caustic’s _-cough-_ presents he likes to _-cough-_ leave around,” Lifeline managed. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Whoooo! That sure snaps ya back into focus, can’t ever let ya guard down.”

Bangalore studied Lifeline, still unsure if they were alone or if she needed to storm the building and take out Caustic. Lifeline noticed her tense posture and lack of response.

“It’s all clear, just a leftover trap. No good loot up there anyway.”

Bangalore turned away from the building and swept the area.

“Best to heal up, check this area real fast, and move on,” Bangalore stated as she scanned the roof tops.

“Don’t worry, just a bit of gas that’ll clear out, nothing serious,” Lifeline waved off.

A frown etched itself onto Bangalore’s face. “Are you sure?”

“Positive, now ya best shift ya carcass or I’ll be getting all the good loot here,” she winked before jogging off towards Bangalore’s building.

“Hey! I claimed that one!”

“Ya better get there before me then!”

Bangalore sprinted forward, quickly catching up to Lifeline. A quick slide on the grass and she was inside with the door slammed shut right in Lifeline’s face. Bangalore couldn’t help but smirk.

“Maybe next time you’ll be able to keep up.”

“Chicken legs,” Lifeline tossed back through one of the gaps in the door.

“Chicken legs?” Bangalore faked offense, then lifted up a side of the bottom of her tunic and flexed her quad. “I don’t think so.”

Bangalore let her tunic fall back into place as she went farther into the building to loot it, failing to catch the bright blush on Lifeline’s face.

A whole afternoon went by without running into any other squads. It was nerve wracking to say the least; the ring was getting smaller and so was the number of remaining squads. Any moment they could get ambushed. Bangalore crept forward in her crouched position, sweeping the area through her sights. Nothing. Off to her side Lifeline cursed and fired her Eva-8. Bangalore pivoted and sought for the enemy.

“I thought…” Lifeline mumbled. “It was nothing,” she shook her head. “Just those funky images in ya peripherals, right?”

“Are you sure?” Bangalore pressed.

“Yeah.”

Bangalore didn’t like the hesitation in Lifeline’s voice, but she decided to do another sweep and keep her guard up as they looted the area.

The silence was getting to both of them, Lifeline much more so than her. She had fired off her gun multiple times at nothing and was constantly checking all of her angles. While it was smart to keep a careful eye, this level of tension wasn’t typical for her. Bangalore kept her comments to herself, but stayed closer to Lifeline, no longer opting to loot buildings separately. It was hard to tell if the gesture was appreciated or just made things worse.

They were going through one building as it was getting close to dark, testing to see if it would be a good place to rest for a couple of hours. Suddenly Lifeline fired out multiple times at the empty room

“Got ‘em!” she cheered out.

“There’s no one there! Stop wasting your ammo,” Bangalore growled.

“There isn’t?” Lifeline said, genuine confusion in her voice as she blinked a couple of times. “I saw it right there,” she motioned to the center of the room. “It was coming right for us…”

“There was nothing there, Lifeline.”

“It makes no sense…”

“C’mon, lets secure the building.”

The first floor was checked, then they moved onto the second. Lifeline’s jumpiness seemed to be getting worse, even if she hadn’t fired out again, her movements were fueled with panic.

“Psst Bangalore!”

Bangalore rolled her eyes and moved on towards the third floor.

“Psst Bangalore, look!”

“What?” she looked down at Lifeline from the set of stairs she was standing on.

The combat medic had her gun trained at the window.

“Do you see it? Standing right by the window?”

“What do you mean it?”

“The fucking creepy shadow thing!”

None of those words made sense with the empty room she was staring at.

“There’s no shadow there.”

“How are ya so damn sure?! This thing is moving closer.”

Before Bangalore could give another response, Lifeline fired out towards the window. The repeated shots of the Eva-8 going off every few minutes or so was going to draw people’s attention. Bangalore rushed down the stairs towards Lifeline.

“Cut it out there’s nothing there!”

Lifeline faced her, eyes going wide, then promptly shot her in the chest. Bangalore stumbled back a half of a step as her body armor’s shields were reduced to nothing. Seeing that Lifeline was going to fire again, Bangalore closed the space between them and wrenched the shotgun out of her hands.

“There’s another one Bangalore!”

The wingman was pulled out next, but a swift whack from the stock of the Eva-8, it was sent clattering to the side.

“The only things here are you and me!” Bangalore harshly whispered. “And you need to cut this out right now! We had a deal to work together remember?”

Lifeline paused for a moment, her light hazel eyes darting around the room before focusing on her. It was odd, Lifeline was looking at her, but at the same time it was like she didn’t see her.

“I hear ya, but where are ya?”

“I’m right in front of you,” Bangalore growled.

“No ya not that’s…oh shit…” Lifeline lifted up her hand, palm towards Bangalore. “Put ya hand against mine.”

“Why do it even-”

“Just do it!”

Bangalore sighed and put her gloved hand against Lifeline’s. “Happy now? Can we stop shooting out randomly?”

The hand was going to be pulled away except Lifeline clenched down with her fingers interlocking them to keep their hands together.

“What did the things in your hallucinations look like?”

Bangalore was caught off guard with the odd question. “My hallucinations?”

“The ones from the last games.”

Those… Bangalore paused a moment before answering as her mind brought up those unwanted images. “Black, smokey, red eyes and lines over their bodies, extra twitchy, fast runners-”

“Shadows…” Lifeline’s face went from scared to calculating. Light hazel eyes locked on Bangalore again.

“I think I’m hallucinating like ya did.”

“What?! How is that even possible?”

“How am I supposed to know? All I know is what ya just described is exactly what I’ve been seeing.”

Bangalore was at a loss for words. Lifeline’s grip tightened.

“I only know this is ya because we are holding hands. Otherwise I’d think ya were another one of those shadows.” Fear was taking over her face as tears began to run down her cheeks. “There’s so many of them…all rushing in for the kill…just like ya said…”

The grip on her hand began to loosen, Lifeline’s eyes were darting around the room. It was Bangalore’s turn to hold on with a vice like grip.

“No! I’m here, it’s all just a hallucination!”

Lifeline’s focus continued to waver as her body turned away from Bangalore, trying to separate their hands. “‘Nita…help me…I can’t do this alone…”

Bangalore pulled Lifeline towards her and held her from behind. “You’re ok, you’re just seeing things.”

“They’re hurting me! Let me go so I can fight!” Lifeline cried out as she thrashed against the hold.

“It’s all in your head!”

Bangalore tripped Lifeline and pinned her to the floor. Hands and legs kicked out at Bangalore as she moved to the mount position to try and better control Lifeline. Dark brown eyes went to the D.O.C. sleeping in Lifeline’s hip pouch. The healing serum in it was what cured her and would do the same to Lifeline. While keeping Lifeline relatively still and not letting herself get punched too bad, Bangalore reached out for the drone. She hesitated for a moment before pulling it out and quickly rubbing the top of it like she had seen Lifeline done so many times. Thankfully the drone woke up, but as soon as it saw Bangalore with a mount position on Lifeline with her struggling and fighting against her it angrily beeped and shot a cord into Bangalore. Dark brown eyes went wide.

“NO! I’m not-”

The rest of her sentence was cut off as the current was shot into her body making her jerk and spasm. Of course the drone was going to think she was attacking Lifeline, she had doomed them both by activating it. Much to Bangalore’s surprise and confusion, the current stopped a moment later. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Lifeline’s body twitching as well as the current hand passed from Bangalore to her. The drone beeped angrily and zoomed forward, smacking Bangalore with its body in an attempt to get her off Lifeline.

“Hey! Cut it out! She’s hallucinating and needs your healing!”

More aggressive beeps as it rammed her again. Bangalore braced a hand against it, keeping it from hitting her again.

“I need you to heal Lifeline!”

Somewhere in dealing with the drone, Lifeline had shifted and wiggled enough that with a thrust of her hips and a kick she escaped Bangalore’s hold. Bangalore scrambled to remove the drone’s cord before it could shock her again. It was a race for the shotgun laying on the ground, both of them crawling across the floor as fast as they could. Lifeline got her hands on it a split second before Bangalore did, but thankfully she was able to pin it to the ground, preventing it from being fired off. The drone followed, beeping and shooting out another cord at Bangalore. She grabbed it in mid-air and stuck it into Lifeline instead.

“HEAL HER DAMMIT!”

More angry beeps as a second cord was shot at her. Bangalore let go of the shotgun, swiftly replacing her hand with a knee, grabbed the cord, and stuck it into Lifeline as well.

“FUCKING HEAL HER! WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER!”

“‘Nita! Where are ya?! HELP ME! They’re everywhere!” Lifeline cried out as she swung wildly at her.

Somehow that got through to the drone as the blue light began to flow down the cords into Lifeline’s body. The effect wasn’t instantaneous, but at least Bangalore’s hands were free to hold Lifeline as she slowly calmed down. Fists were unclenched and then latched onto her as Lifeline sobbed incoherently into the crook of her neck.

“I gotcha Ajay,” Bangalore whispered into her ear.

Early morning light came with the warning that the ring was closing in. Bangalore checked the map and how far out they were from the next ring. It was right next door thankfully, but they couldn’t wait too much longer and potentially have another squad run into them. She glanced over her arm at Lifeline who was sitting in the corner of the building. Knees were pulled up to her chest with arms wrapped around them as the drone was giving Lifeline another dose. Thankfully, it had taken only a couple of doses for the hallucinations to stop, a benefit of catching the issue and addressing it relatively quickly. Bangalore slowly approached. Haunted, light hazel eyes with obvious bags underneath looked up at her. It was only for a moment as they dropped down to look at the floor in front of Lifeline. Bangalore wanted to say something, but couldn’t think of the right words. It was frustrating, Ajay needed some comfort or something and here she was with her tongue tied. She knew what it was like to go through the hell Lifeline had just experienced. Eventually Bangalore decided to just sit down next to Lifeline and put her hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. Lifeline glanced at the hand, then Bangalore’s face. An attempt at a smile was made by Lifeline.

“Thanks,” she quietly spoke as she put a hand on top of Bangalore’s.

“Don’t mention it.”


	18. High Fives and Group Photos

Two crouched figures scoped out the area of the fifth ring from the edge of it while hiding on some of the rocks higher up the canyon wall.

“Seven squads left including ours,” Lifeline commented as she focused on a shed she saw movement in.

“Looks like it’s going to be a bloodbath to the end,” Bangalore grumbled.

“Any ideas on how ya want to play this?”

“We could wait back here and snipe from a distance, but as soon as a squad gets tired of us taking pot shots they might rush.”

“Pretty sure we could handle it if they decided to rush us.”

“Well if another sniper turns their scope towards us, then things would get dicey. More likely we are to get some returning sniper fire if we just tried to pick people off.”

“And that would take time, we are going to lose this advantage as soon as the ring starts moving. We have an hour before that happens. Do ya want to try sniping? Ya got ya favorite G7 scout all geared up.”

Bangalore frowned. “Everyone is hunkered down prepping for this last bit, there aren’t any good shots right now and I don’t want to give up our position so quickly.”

“So let’s stir the pot a little and get the party started,” Lifeline smirked as she pulled out a handheld trigger.

“Bait?”

“What’s a party without a birthday present?”

Bangalore considered the idea. Lifeline’s care packages always had good items in them and they both were almost geared up as much as one could get. For another team this could be something worth the gamble.

“Don’t put it in the middle, set it off to the side of the ring with some cover so they think there is a chance they could get it without getting hurt. Whatever team heads out for it first will draw the attention of the other squads, encouraging them to come out of hiding in order to engage. And while they are all busy fighting amongst themselves, and then I’ll set off the fireworks,” Bangalore finished her sentence with a wave of her flare canister.

“And what if they all just stay hunkered down and pick from a distance?”

“Then we rush in on their backs while they are preoccupied. My airstrike can destroy parts of those wooden structures.”

Lifeline shrugged. “Last question. What are we gonna do if we end up making it through all of this and it’s just the two of us?”

“We could duke it out with our fists, I’d beat you though.” Bangalore paused. “I’d beat you if we stuck to guns anyway.”

Lifeline barked out a laugh. “Ya really that certain of ya self huh?”

Bangalore shrugged. “So far I’ve won both of the one-on-one matches between us. But we still got five squads to knock out before then.”

“When we do, the truce is over and it’s every woman for herself. I want this championship just as much as ya.”

Bangalore nodded and shifted her scope to another building. Off to her side Lifeline tinkered for a moment before pulling the trigger on her care package signal. Like planned it descended down in an area off to the side. Far from them, but tantalizingly close to a number of the remaining squads. For several minutes the package sat there unopened with the dust and smoke settling around it. Bangalore watched the package like a hawk. Someone had to go for it. A ripple in the air was seen and a figure appeared to open the package. Bangalore wanted so bad to pull the trigger on her gun, but she held off in hopes that one of the other squads would start shooting. Wraith made her way back to her squad’s hiding place without a single shot ringing out. Bangalore cursed and pulled out her flare canister. So they were all just going to keep hiding? Then one of them was about to get their hiding spot blown up. Bangalore hurled the canister as far as she could throw, successfully landing it close enough to the building one squad was hiding in. Charges dropped from the sky covering a wide area and within seconds they exploded. Bangalore smirked as a good portion of the building was reduced to splinters. Three bodies were sent scrambling and she was more than happy to send a few shots in that definitely did some damage. She was so busy adding to the other fire that was pinning the squad down that she didn’t keep an eye out for any that might be targeting her in return until a bullet was tearing through her armor and side. The force of the large caliber bullet threw her back as she cried out in pain.

“Shit Bangalore! Get healing quick!” Lifeline cursed as she sent fire in return to the opponent that had snipped her.

Another flare was thrown, but this one was in their direction. Red circles appeared on the ground around them as a roar echoed from above.

“That’s Gibraltar’s bombardment!” Lifeline called out. “We gotta move NOW!”

Explosives rained down launching shrapnel and debris everywhere while both of them hopped and slid down from their perch. One smoke canister covered their landing area and the second covered most of their mad dash to the damaged building. Bangalore scrambled into a corner on the second story with Lifeline right on her heel. Both of them were bleeding, Bangalore much more so than Lifeline due to the sniper’s shot and an explosive that had caught her from behind. A shield cell was pulled out, first she needed to get her armor back up. The sharp stab of a syringe being injected into her shoulder almost made her cry out from both surprise and pain if Lifeline hadn’t covered her mouth. Questioning dark brown eyes stared into focused light hazels.

“Ya cover me while I heal next.”

Bangalore nodded and popped another shield cell. Moments later with fully recharged shields and health serum racing through her veins, Bangalore remained crouched in front of Lifeline as she did the same. Two figures were approaching from her two and ten. Fire was focused on the lanky MRVN who quickly grappled away and out of sight. She couldn’t worry about him as Mirage was closing in fast. Several of her shots hit the frustrating holograms. Thankfully, just as her clip ran out, Lifeline’s R-301 cut through the air doing considerable damage to Mirage. In seconds he fell down and vanished while one of his holograms dramatically staggered on their feet. It was tempting to chase after him, but the gunshots ringing out all around told them that they had bigger fish to worry about. With a cloud of cover they got out of the building and headed towards the fight. Shotguns, sniper rifles, grenades, assault rifles, everything was out in full force. It was time to win or die. All of the big names had lasted until the end with any of the FNGs on their squads being the ones that were finished off first. Bangalore and Lifeline tried to focus their fire on one target at a time, but the bullets coming from all directions pulled their attention all over. It was frustrating, one opponent’s shields would get destroyed and before Bangalore could finish them off a teammate would rush in and push her back. More than once her smoke was a saving move to either obscure her opponents’ vision or for cover that allowed them to escape. However, as they were crouched down by some rocks in a cloud of smoke trying to recharge their shields an animalistic roar was let out too close for comfort. Bangalore raised up her flatline and prepared herself for the inevitable faceoff with Bloodhound.

The barrel of a hot gun shoved her to the side just as Bloodhound’s glowing red eyes could be seen staring them down through the dissipating smoke. Lifeline exclaimed as she emptied her clip at them until she collapsed from the bullets cutting through her. For a moment everything moved in slow motion as Bangalore pushed herself up from the ground. Empty shells were drifting down to the earth like leaves, each pop of an assault rifle distinctly heard before the next bullet was fired, Bloodhound’s head and rifle turning in her direction one millimeter at a time. A single thought passed through Bangalore’s mind amidst the chaos. Lifeline would have survived Bloodhound’s first round of fire because Bangalore was positioned between them, but instead of letting that happen she had shoved Bangalore to the side and had taken the brunt of the attack. While that action made no sense to her, she wasn’t going to waste a moment of what extra time she had to fight. Fingers tightened their grip on the flatline as she pulled it up and aimed it at Bloodhound, legs pushing hard against the ground, slowly springing her to her feet. Just as time returned to normal and her finger was pulling the trigger to finish them off, a grappling hook pierced her back and violently jerked her off her feet. She didn’t even have time to cry out before a metal palm harshly collided with the back of her head making her world instantly go dark.

_“The champion has been defeated.”_

It wasn’t an unfamiliar sensation, Bangalore knew exactly what had happened when it felt like all of her muscles and internal organs were groaning at the idea of still having to work instead of relaxing in the cold embrace of death. Eyes managed to open first, then limbs started to shift. She wasn’t tied to something, now that was unusual. Dark brown eyes moved to the side, catching sight of two empty medical examination tables on her right, and many more surrounding her. About half of the beds had competitors on them, while the others were empty. Bangalore breathed out and then attempted to sit up. Every inch of her protested the action, but she pushed through it anyway.

“Ow…” Bangalore grunted as she gently rubbed a tender spot on the back of her head.

To her three a doctor was walking towards her. She turned on the table so she was facing them.

“Let’s run a body scan and see how you are doing Sergeant Williams.”

Bangalore simply blinked and sat there while the handheld device was passed over her.

“Looks like your body has all healed up, although you might get a headache tonight if you over do it. A common symptom of getting high-fived by Pathfinder.”

“The MRVN?”

“Yes, his squad ended up winning the championship this time around.”

“Good for him,” Bangalore winced and rubbed her head again.

“After a good night’s rest you should be able to return normal activities.”

“What of my teammates?” Empty tables could either be a good thing or a bad thing.

“They both got discharged a couple of days ago, both healed up perfectly fine.”

A wave of relief washed over her. She didn’t want to show up alone again, people would think being on her squad was a death sentence.

“You’re clear to go, your clothes have been cleaned and stored underneath the table,” the doctor finished up.

“Thank you,” Bangalore regard them with a nod.

The doctor turned and headed for another competitor. Dark brown eyes scanned the tables again, this time landing on the familiar redhead. Lifeline was sitting on her table talking with her two teammates. A joke or something must have been made as their laughter rang out for a moment. Both of Lifeline’s teammates were fully dressed and considering that they had been eliminated early on, they must have come back to visit her. Round lips fell as she continued to watch the three of them interact. A slight pang of jealously ran through her at having to wake up alone without her teammates wanting to see her. Bangalore pushed the feeling to the side. Lifeline was a popular competitor, of course they’d want to enjoy the time they could with her while they were still on the same squad. Eyes drifted to the empty tables her teammates had been taken care of on. A hand clenched into a fist. Lifeline felt more like her teammate for this competition than either of those did. She didn’t even remember what their names were. Shame washed over her for not remembering something so simple. She could at least do that and thank them for the effort they did put in. Bangalore carefully slid off her examination table and crouched down to pick up her belongings and the small brown bag distributed to everyone. When she stood up and glanced towards Lifeline again, she could have sworn Lifeline had been looking in her direction. Heat flared on her cheeks and she kept her head focused on the door as she made her way to the exit.

“The legendary pudding cup!” Gibraltar’s voice boomed from the side. “Butterscotch!”

Bangalore paused to glance at the cheerful man as he held up the mentioned pudding cup in one his massive hands while the other carefully pinched the small biodegradable spoon between two fingers. A hint of a smile formed on Bangalore’s lips at his enthusiasm. Out of curiosity she peeked into her brown bag to see what pudding cup she had gotten. Dark brown semi-solid could be seen through the clear plastic container. Chocolate. Bangalore continued to the exit with slightly better spirits.

Attending the awards ceremony not as the champion was a different experience. While there was still the limo ride with her squad, the attention towards her was minimal. There were still the usual boos and jeers when she walked down the red carpet with her squad, at least it wasn’t as bad as it usually was. A few reporters and journalists wanted pictures and had some questions for them, her squad did come in 5th after all. Bangalore kept it simple and straightforward. The anticipated question regarding her choice to team up with Lifeline was countered with a short statement of it being a strategically sound decision considering the circumstances. She knew they wanted more in regards to Lifeline, perhaps some even hoping for a hint at the romantic tension shown in the recap video for the last games. Bangalore, as far as she was concerned, had nothing to give them in that area. They teamed up to get more money, simple as that.

Aside from the significantly reduced payout and knowing that she got bested, being in the top 5 versus the champion, wasn’t too bad. The recap video was thankfully focused on the champion squad and the top 3 with a tiny bit of extra attention tossed her way. One thing that still felt odd was not having Lifeline next to her in the team photos despite how many times Bangalore reminded herself that they weren’t an official team. Due to the combat medic’s final decisions, her squad ended up placing 6th overall, something that still bothered Bangalore if she was being honest.

When the main production was over and everyone was socializing, Bangalore found herself scanning for Lifeline. She located the beautifully dressed woman hanging out on one of the balconies and against many internal protests found her feet walking out to join her. Quality leather dress shoes made much less noise than heels did. Lifeline visibly jumped when Bangalore suddenly appeared in her peripherals as she leaned against the balcony.

“Ya startled me ‘Nita,” came the strained laugh.

A frown crossed Bangalore’s face as she calculated that Lifeline’s encounter with the shadow hallucinations was bound to still be affecting her in some ways. However, she couldn’t bring herself to apologize for unintentionally making the smaller woman jump. Dark brown eyes dropped down and focused on the ice cubes she was swirling around in her drink.

“Did I steal ya balcony and ya came to stoically take it back?”

Bangalore turned to look at Lifeline, mild surprise etched onto her face. Lifeline was looking at her with a casual smile as her face was propped up by the fist of the arm resting on the balcony. The lighting must be doing some crazy magic because at that moment Lifeline absolutely breathtaking. She wore a baby blue halter top dress that flowed out at the waist. Tiny, clear stones glittered all over it, more densely concentrated around the top. Red hair was done up in the usual dual buns, but this time secured with matching blue ribbon. Bangalore opened and closed her mouth, her words caught in her windpipe.

“I don’t own any balconies here,” she stated with a huff.

“Surprised ya out here then.”

Her throat bobbed up and down as she swallowed and stared at her drink again. Bangalore decided to throw the rest of it back; then proceeded to fiddle with the cold glass in her hands.

“I wanted to thank ya for helping me out there when I was seeing shit,” Lifeline broke the silence first. “I know I probably wasn’t super easy to deal with, and I’m sure ya got shocked by my drone. Should have told it that we were working together so it hopefully wouldn’t.” the last sentence was said more to the side than anything.

“You helped me recover from mine, so it was only fitting that I help you through yours,” Bangalore awkwardly shrugged.

They stood in silence for a moment. Out of the corner of her eye Bangalore watched Lifeline draw random lines into the balcony with her finger.

“Was it just me or did it feel like ya were celebrating with the wrong people?”

So she had felt it too. Bangalore squashed down the little happy cheer that cried out in her chest. She cleared her throat trying to find the right words to say.

“Yeah…”

All her other thoughts died on her tongue. How she had felt left out in the medical room. How she kept on expecting Lifeline to be right next to her instead of the two other people. How she had sought out the other woman’s company.

“What do ya say we take a photo for the real 5th place squad?”

Bangalore raised an eyebrow at Lifeline as she pulled out her communication device. Half of her balked at the idea while the other spoke up.

“Sure.”

Lifeline was surprised, but didn’t make a comment. They took a step closer to each other, hands automatically sliding around waists and bodies touching on the sides. Warmth radiated from the contact and Bangalore felt her heartrate pick up.

“Now do a trademark pose or something,” Lifeline said as she held the device up and positioned it so they were both centered.

Bangalore made one of her serious faces, staring right into the camera while Lifeline tipped her head back with a big smile, a wink, and a peace sign.

Click.

They did a second one with a slightly different pose and then a third. Lifeline stepped away from her and looked over the shots. Bangalore couldn’t help but feel like the air was just a tad too cold.

“Now there’s the real deal. Got ya device on you? Ya need ya copy.”

Bangalore pulled hers out and they tapped their screens together for a moment to transfer the files. Naturally Bangalore opened them up to see how they turned out. The first was a great example of their two different personas as well as the second, however the third made Bangalore panic. Not only were they standing much closer than the other two, to the point that their fronts were almost touching, but Lifeline’s head was resting against her chest while a comfortable smile graced the combat medic’s lips. Her own hand was seen in this picture, the others were shot too high to catch it, resting against the curve of Lifeline’s lower back. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the worst of it. The dark brown eyes in that picture didn’t have the usual cold steel, come get some, look to them, but instead were slightly relaxed with the hint of the smile that was hiding on her lips reflected in them. Bangalore’s finger hovered over the trashcan image for a long moment. She wanted so badly to delete this one for fear of looking at it again or seeing it on someone else’s device. However, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. One, Lifeline still had the picture and it would be a good idea to keep an original incase the other got altered. Two, if Lifeline was going to keep it, so was she. Three, it was a good picture. They both looked great in it, and the genuine expressions were a rarity she would probably never get again. While she knew she had no intention of sharing these, she didn’t know what Lifeline’s plans were. Dark brown eyes went to Lifeline as she swiped and typed away on her device.

“So um,” Bangalore cleared her throat, “What are you going to do with the pictures?”

“Going post that first two with a few tags to my social media accounts, let all my fans see, and then the third I’m just going to keep for myself. Ya got to do that sometimes.”

“Ah.” Relief washed over Bangalore.

“Ya should do the same.”

“What?” Bangalore stared at Lifeline, bewilderment etched into her face.

“Post on ya social medias for ya fans.”

“I don’t have any fans,” Bangalore deadpanned.

True she did have the required social media accounts, but that was only because the Apex Legends PR team required it. In all honesty she hadn’t done a thing with them other than add a profile picture and fill out her about info. Lifeline stared at her for a full second before laughing and shaking her head.

“Here, let’s do this. I’ll post them and tag ya in them, then ya can resend them to your profile.”

Bangalore blinked. Lifeline raised an eyebrow.

“Ok, let’s just start with what is ya tag so I can follow ya.”

For the next ten minutes Bangalore stood next to Lifeline as she guided her through resending a post that she was tagged in. Lifeline also stepped her though making some improvements to her profiles, and basics on following/blocking others and posting or reacting to content. By the end Bangalore had one new follower, was following all of the other top ranked legends, and had the pictures of her and Lifeline sitting on her feed.

“Ya will get the hang of it before too long, ya smart,” Lifeline finished as she answered a few messages she had on her accounts.

Bangalore glanced down at her device as the notification light was blinking. She opened up her social medias and noticed that Gibraltar had followed her back. A smile pulled at the corner of her lips. He was a real sweetheart. Bangalore glanced at Lifeline; she was now leaning with her back against the balcony, her communication device gone from sight, and her eyes focused up at the tall building framed against the night sky. Words attempted once again to climb their way out of her throat. Bangalore breathed out heavily.

“Thank you.”

Lifeline regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

“Not just for showing me this stuff,” Bangalore waved her device around, “but for you know, wanting to team up.”

“Our interests aligned,” Lifeline casually shrugged.

“Yeah…”

“Though, I couldn’t believe my eyes at first, seeing the two-time champion Bangalore bleeding out so early in the game,” came the tease.

Bangalore felt her cheeks heat up. She breathed out harshly through her nose and looked away.

“But, so was I. I only survived because I had by D.O.C. Some days just don’t go well.”

“Yeah,” Bangalore nodded.

“Hey,” Lifeline called her attention back to her. Dark brown eyes met light hazel ones. “It was great teaming up with ya ‘Nita.”

“You too,” Bangalore paused, the word weighing on her tongue, “Ajay.”


	19. Moonlit Sprint

Somethings never seemed to change. It must be a hobby or a bet or _something_ , because frankly Bangalore was quite tired of it. A low grunt escaped her mouth as a fist crossed her face making her lip bleed and for her bloody nose to get worse. There were at least four of them this time, big burly brawlers that were mostly sober. One was holding her right arm captive in a painful hold while another had a grip on the front of her armor pushing her back against the wall of the bar. His right fist was winding up for another punch to her face. The other two were hoping about throwing in little jabs where they could, but it was thankfully hard for them to get around the big guy in front of her. She had to commend them for a well-coordinated attack, but she wasn’t out for the count just yet, her legs were free and she could still breathe.

“Got no where to run IMC bitch,” the one in front of her grinned through the blood running down his own face.

“Don’t need to,” came Bangalore’s snarky retort.

His grin grew as his meaty fist flew forward and crashed against the side of Bangalore’s face again. Stars danced in her vision for a moment. Bangalore grounded herself and kicked out at the one keeping her arm captive, successfully freeing her arm so she could get a grip on the hand pushing her against the wall.

“Outta my way!” a voice called in the distance. “Shift ya carcasses!”

Two of the brawlers jumped to the side and the one who was going after her arm again cried out as gloved fingers pinched his ear and pulled him away by it. Bangalore stared in disbelief at the smaller figure that approached her side.

“Play time is over, I need Bangalore more than ya need to stroke ya fragile ego,” Lifeline sweetly stated as she put her hand on top of the one still grabbing Bangalore’s front. There was a dangerous look in her eyes, daring the man to object. Almost hoping that he would so she could dish out whatever she had planned.

The man stared down at Lifeline dumbfounded. “That fuck do you need this IMC shit for?”

“Mind ya own business, I need her, now let go.”

Bangalore bristled at having someone, let alone Lifeline, stepping in to save her from a fight she could still win.

“I’m not going anywhere with you!” Bangalore objected.

Lifeline huffed, rolled her eyes, raised an eyebrow at her. “Ya gonna want to.”

“Hey!” the guy called out. “We in the middle of something here! Butt out!”

“I need her, and I’m not taking no for an answer from ya.”

Like lightening a scalpel was pulled out of one of Lifeline’s many pockets and was pressed against the side of the man’s neck right where his carotid artery would be. He visibly paled and gulped.

“Giving ya one last warning.”

The hand released Bangalore and he backed up with additional encouragement from the scalpel.

“Thanks for ya cooperation,” Lifeline smiled, the scalpel disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. The combat medic then grabbed Bangalore’s wrist. “Let’s go.”

Bangalore was taken off guard at being tugged after her, but she quickly held her ground and twisted her wrist out of the loose hold.

“I’m not going to wherever you’re wanting to take me.”

Lifeline sighed heavily and rolled her head back. The rest of her body followed its lead and smoothly pivoted to face Bangalore.

“Ya always so stubborn.”

“You always overestimate how much I trust you,” Bangalore folded her arms over her chest.

Lifeline stepped close and went up on her tippy toes so her mouth was right next to Bangalore’s ear.

“Got a hunch on what caused our hallucinations, ya want to help me prove it or not?”

The hot breath against Bangalore’s ear made her skin tingle and her face flush. However, the meaning behind the words was not lost. Bangalore stood there for a moment trying to figure out what it could be. Lifeline dropped back down to her feet and continued walking away, this time not dragging Bangalore with her.

“Keep up if ya want to find out!” she called over her shoulder.

Dark brown eyes went wide.

“Shit!” Bangalore turned this way and that as her mind and body was bombarded with the need to pay her bill and the deadline of losing sight of Lifeline.

Currency was swiftly exchanged for the price of the food and drink she had ordered with a generous tip on top of it. Bangalore dashed out of the bar onto the busy night streets, eyes scanning the area for Lifeline. Off in the distance she caught a glimpse of two red buns slipping into an alley. Bangalore cursed as she dashed after them. Long, agile legs slipped through the crowds easily and was able to spot the back half of Lifeline as she turned another corner. Bangalore pushed forward, sprinting, climbing, and leaping after her. Lifeline kept her word as she didn’t wait and even started sprinting herself. Step by step Bangalore worked to close the distance between them as they weaved through the concrete jungle towards a destination unknown to Bangalore. That slight advantage Lifeline had of knowing where they were going, along with what was coming up helped her keep her lead as multiple times Bangalore got caught by surprise by a random sign or barrel of waste.

“If any of your buddies saw this they’d think I was chasing you!” Bangalore shouted out in frustration as they darted across the moonlit rooftops. “Things could get complicated real quick.”

“Then catch up chicken legs!” Lifeline teased over her shoulder.

“I don’t have chicken legs…” Bangalore grumbled to herself.

Legs pushed harder, working to close that distance. After a lucky slide and a few cut turns, Bangalore was finally running side by side with Lifeline. Sudden twists and turns separated them for a moment, but the short distance was always easy to eliminate. Finally Lifeline jumped to a stop in front of a door to a large building. By the looks of it Bangalore could guess this was either a warehouse or some interesting residence. To her side Lifeline pulled off her glove and placed her hand on a scanner, then had her eyes scanned. Hydraulics hissed as the doors opened up.

“Come on in ‘Nita,” Lifeline beckoned Bangalore to follow her as she stepped into the dimly lit building.

Bangalore stood still and shook her head, not daring to head into a place that could surely be a trap or something. Lifeline sighed dramatically.

“Lights!” she shouted out.

Overhead lights snapped on, illuminating a narrow hallway that lead to a series of doors. No other people could be seen right now, but there were many spots where they could hide.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To my lab, got something to show ya.”

Bangalore laughed. “You think I’m dumb enough to follow you alone into your lab!? Who knows what robotics or other little drones you got in there that would make it very hard for me to come out alive.”

Lifeline glared at her. “Ya still don’t trust me at all.”

“We’re not in the games and I’m not even sure about this theory you have about the hallucination source. For one I don’t even know what your theory is.”

“Then why’d ya follow me all the way here? I could have led you into so many traps by now, but didn’t.”

Bangalore closed her mouth and shook her finger in frustration at being called out. “This is a hell of a lot more suspicious than an outdoor alley way.”

“Ya coming in or not?”

“I need some sort of guarantee you’re not about to pull something on me. Some leverage.”

“Ya aren’t going to trust my word and I don’t think having ya put a gun to my head in a frontier corps building is a good idea.”

“Then I guess we are at an impasse,” Bangalore folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin up.

Something shifted in Lifeline as her usual pleasant attitude shifted and turned red with anger.

“I did not bust my ass for the past two weeks gathering all of the evidence and building a solid theory to have the _one_ person who can help me just snub me off!” Angry light hazel eyes bored into contempt dark browns. “This isn’t about me or ya, it’s about everyone else who is going to have this happen to them and I want to do something about it! I’d go to anyone else except ya are the only one who believes me!”

Bangalore scoffed. “No one? Even out of all your frontier buddies?”

“Yeah! Because they all chalk it up to being stress from the games and think what ya experienced was more related to ya PTSD. But we both know we were seeing the same thing and it wasn’t just because of stress.” Then as quickly as the anger came it dissipated. Lifeline’s shoulders fell and she turned away. “It was a long shot asking for ya help, I know that. Ya got little reason to trust me, I just hoped that maybe ya would be interested too.” Lifeline began to walk into the building. “Ya can go.”

Bangalore breathed out harshly through her nose as she watched Lifeline enter the building and for the doors to close after her. She looked around as her mind fought back and forth. She did want to know what was causing the hallucinations and she did think highly of the idea of trying to create a cure or antidote or something. Another realization sunk in the longer she stood there that prompted her to step forward and pound on the door. The security camera shifted its focus to her.

“What is it ‘Nita?” came Lifeline’s tired voice.

“I…” Bangalore sighed. “I don’t know where I am.” She checked over her shoulder, making sure the coast was still clear. “And while I don’t fully trust you, I know you at least won’t kill me. And considering where I am, things could get a lot worse for me. And…” Bangalore gritted her teeth. “I do want to know what your theory is and what it is you need me for. But if I sense any trouble I’m going to-”

The rest of her sentence was cut off by the swift opening of the doors. Lifeline stood to the side, her hand on a switch, studying Bangalore.

“do whatever it takes to escape alive,” Bangalore finished.

They looked at each other for a long moment. A small smile began to grow on Lifeline’s lips. Bangalore looked away stuffing down the urge to smile in return.

“Ya sure?”

“I don’t really have another option right now. I could try to find my way back, but I could easily run into someone that doesn’t like the sight of my face.”

“I could always take ya back, be ya escort,” Lifeline offered as she leaned against the door frame.

Bangalore shook her head. “I’ve made up my mind, and if I end up regretting it later, then well…” the sentence was finished with a shrug.

A full smile graced Lifeline’s lips. “C’mon now,” she motioned with her head. “Let me show ya what I found.”

Bangalore followed Lifeline into the building after a moment of hesitation. The doors shutting behind her still set her nerves on fire, but so far no person or thing had jumped out to attack her. However, neither of them noticed the disturbance in the air that slipped in right behind them before the doors completely closed.

“Most are gone by this time of night,” Lifeline explained as she casually walked towards one of two doors at the end of the hallway. “Less people to get all huffy about the IMC soldier being here of all places.”

“Must be an important place.”

“Bunch of frontier corps stuff, planning rescue missions, supplies, armory, but a good chunk is my lab where I work on any of my various projects. Usually tinkering with my healing solution, still trying to get it to work as fast as the revive solution, but they still got me beat there.”

Lifeline approached the door on the left and offered her hand and eyes for scanning in addition to a code that was swiftly typed in. The smaller door opened.

“Recognize Sergeant First Class Anita Williams as permitted guest,” she called out into the room. “Stand still and let the AI scan ya real quick.” Lifeline whispered to her.

Bangalore stood still, her unease growing with each passing second. Great she’d be having to fight against an AI if things went south.

“Scan complete. Sergeant First Class Anita Williams recognized as guest through Ajay Che’s authority.”

The doors closed behind them, but not fast enough for a ripple in the air to just pass through.

“Welcome to my home away from home!” Lifeline threw her hands out wide. “Complete with futon as I sleep here more than I probably should.”

Bangalore looked around taking in the series of screens and computer equipment off to the left, the long steel table in the middle with all sorts of science and medical equipment strewn all over it. She didn’t fail to notice the Mozambique casually laying on the table. A frown quirked on the edge of her lips at the lack of gun safety. More lab equipment off to her right, a charging station for the D.O.C. and tools to repair the drone. Further down the hall Bangalore could see a clean room, examination tables, and more medical supplies organized into a small medical bay around the examination tables. Lifeline must also do a considerable amount of treatments here if that was part of her set up. Bangalore didn’t see the futon, but from what she knew of Lifeline’s sleeping habits, it was probably tucked into a corner somewhere.

“Now if ya come on over here I’ll show ya what I’ve dug up,” Lifeline’s voice pulled Bangalore’s attention towards all of the computers and screens.


	20. Into the Gas Chamber

With a small remote in hand, Lifeline pulled up a paused video on one of the screens. She then proceeded to put a different paused video segment up on all 5 of the screens. Bangalore didn’t fail to notice that one of the screens was showing her from the previous games.

“To figure out what might be causing our issue I went back and analyzed our own film trying to find any similarities between them.”

Two of the screens began to play, the one with Bangalore, and one with Lifeline from the most recent games.

“Lucky for us, we are pretty different so it wasn’t hard to spot a suspicious similarity.”

The videos were both paused on the scenes where they were in a bunch of green gas. Bangalore frowned.

“If it was the gas there would be a lot more cases than just the two of us.”

“There should be more cases than the two of us, however, locating someone with the potential to have the hallucinations and then being able get an accurate retelling of their memories is extremely difficult. Remember how I said that Caustic was working to make his gas counteract the healing affects of the syringes and have side effects?”

“Yes.”

“My theory is that the shadow hallucination is one of the side effects, although a tricky one to get.” Lifeline pressed a button and all five screens began to play their footage. “Most side effects are instantaneous and physical, while this one has to work its way into the mind and slowly take over. In order for that to happen the test subject has to stay alive for an extended amount of time _after_ breathing in the gas.”

Bangalore watched as a quick highlight video was shown of many contestants getting wrapped up in their death boxes while in the gas.

“As you can tell, not many last long after exposure to the gas for a variety of reasons. I only found two others that lasted more than a day after exposure to the gas. Talking with them yielded no information as they don’t remember having any such hallucinations.”

“Both you and Gibraltar breathed in a lot of it at the same time that I did, yet I was the only one who had the hallucinations.”

Lifeline held up a finger and smirked. “There is a second condition that has to be met in order for the hallucination to have a chance to form. Getting healed soon after exposure slows the process, and if it’s something very strong like the juice from my drone or the revive solution, it has almost no chance of happening.”

A frown etched itself onto Bangalore’s face. “How do you rationalize that? I used my revive solution and it didn’t get rid of it.”

“Timing. It was a couple of days later that ya used the revive solution and the hallucinations had already taken over ya mind. We both know at that point it takes multiple doses from my drone to recover.”

“I refused to get healed by the drone right after-” Bangalore began.

“And I didn’t heal myself afterwards from that small hit in the last games because I didn’t think it would impact me,” Lifeline finished the sentence.

“So assuming this theory is correct, why then did it take me a couple of days to completely lose it while for you it only took a day? Shouldn’t it have similar incubation periods?”

Lifeline motioned to the screens. “I have no doubt that Caustic goes through the film and uses the information gathered about his ‘test subjects’ and makes alterations based off of that. He is a scientist after all. I bet ya he took one look at what it did to ya and decided to up whatever chemical is responsible for it. That and ya were using syringes like crazy when I wasn’t at all.”

Bangalore huffed and focused on the screens ignoring the burn on her cheeks. “It’s hard to build a solid theory off of just two cases. Common threads between the two of us might not carry on to future cases.”

Lifeline crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Did I mention that I spent the past two weeks on this?”

There was an edge to her voice, a subtle threat for Bangalore to watch how she critiqued all of the combat medic’s work.

“Would a third case help to prove it?” A new voice spoke up.

Lifeline and Bangalore jumped, whirling to face the small figure sitting on a large generator in the corner of the lab. Black and purple clothing with numerous belts, black hair wrapped up in a bun, and a large device attached to her left forearm. Wraith stared at them with her milky white eyes, chin propped up on her left fist as she sat there leaning slightly forward. One eyebrow was slightly raised up and a shadow of a smile could almost be seen resting on her pale lips.

“How the fuck did you get in here without being detected?” Bangalore shot out as she fell into a slightly defensive stance.

Wraith’s eyes shifted to Lifeline for her response. A heavy sigh was let out as Lifeline smacked her forehead.

“I forgot to erase her permission to enter from the AI’s system after treating her that one time. Penelope!” Lifeline shouted up at the ceiling.

“Yes Ms. Che?” the AI replied with its even, digital voice.

“Next time alert me whenever someone enters my lab even if they _are_ on the permission to enter list!”

“Yes Ms. Che.”

“Great,” Lifeline faced Wraith with her hands on her hips, “now that we have that little heart attack taken care of, what’s this ya were saying about a third case?”

Wraith seemed mildly surprised. “My case,” she stated as if it was the most obvious thing.

Lifeline and Bangalore exchanged a glance before looking at her with confusion.

“You threw a gas trap down a set of stairs spraying my whole squad and then took out my two teammates when we pursued you?”

Light hazel eyes went wide. “Oh! OH! Ya I remember that, ya slipped away right at the end when I went to go hunt ya down.”

“That was her squad!?” Bangalore rounded on Lifeline. “Why didn’t you mention that? That was the squad we were up against for the championship at the end!”

“I wasn’t sure it was her,” Lifeline shrugged nonchalantly. “I didn’t actually get a clear view of her or see her use any of that void walking shit she does. It wasn’t just me, Gibraltar didn’t say anything either.”

“He was running away from a three-on-one situation after being gassed, you were running in a clear and open area with only one threat,” Bangalore grumbled.

“Anyways, we still won,” Lifeline waved off, “and that means ya didn’t get offed until the very end,” the sentence was finished with the attention brought back to Wraith.

“Yes,” the voidwalker nodded.

“Tell me everything! Did ya experience any hallucinations? Could ya tell ya mind was slowly unraveling on ya?” Lifeline moved closer to Wraith and bounced on the balls of her feet like a kid in a candy store looking at all of the sweets.

“I did eventually, but the voices in my head were able to keep me grounded,” Wraith evenly answered.

“Describe it to me!”

“Dark, misty atmosphere, red-eyed smokey figures with lines of fire all over them, and irrational fear creeping up each time I looked at one of them.”

“Did it progress over time? Did anything ease the hallucinations? How long did it take for the hallucinations to start? Did it feel like ya were being hurt when they attacked you?”

The questions came in rapid fire as Lifeline wasn’t able to contain her enthusiasm.

Wraith sat there for a moment in silence. “My case shares many similarities with you two, however the effectiveness is much lower on me as I am more resistant to that type of manipulation. While I saw the hallucinations, I never acted out at them because I knew they weren’t real.”

“I knew they weren’t real too,” Bangalore huffed. “It just felt too real to be able to ignore.”

“The voices in my head were constantly telling me if they were hallucinations or actual opponents. It got pretty annoying after a while, they normally aren’t _that_ chatty.”

“Must have been like having Bangalore on ya squad, she talks about every gun or piece of equipment she comes across,” Lifeline jumped in.

“Hey! Some people don’t know all that stuff! Communication is helpful,” Bangalore pushed back.

“I know, I was just giving ya a hard time,” Lifeline winked as she playfully bumped Bangalore with her hips catching the soldier off guard.

Bangalore’s face went beet red as she muttered under her breath and straightened out her tunic. Wraith watched the whole exchange, an eyebrow raising up ever so slightly.

“Well?” Bangalore turned to Wraith. “Do you agree with Lifeline’s theory?”

“Yes. The hallucinations eased up whenever I used a syringe, but they always came back and got worse with time. There was a noticeable amount of relief from them when I woke up in the medical wing. However, after a few days I was too frustrated to wait for it to leave on its own and needed a better solution.”

“Wait! Was that why ya came to see me? Not just because of the bullshit reasons ya gave me on how ya got hurt and couldn’t go to a regular doctor?”

Wraith shrugged, almost smiling. “I may have let myself get those injuries I had you treat. The main goal was to get the last of the hallucinations out of my mind.”

Lifeline huffed and pressed her lips into a thin line. “Well ya plan worked, that’s what I get for being such a gullible softie.”

“I would never peg you for being either of those,” Bangalore commented from the side.

“Ya hush ‘Nita.”

Bangalore rolled her eyes.

“Now that we have three cases that support the theory of Caustic’s gas being the cause of the shadow hallucination, we can move onto the next step!” Lifeline did a dramatic pause, hoping either of the two would ask what it was, however both Bangalore and Wraith simply waited for her to continue. “We are going to steal a sample of his gas so we can make an antidote!” she continued on with the same enthusiasm.

Once again Lifeline’s statement was greeted with silence and neutral faces.

“Ok,” Wraith shrugged after a moment.

“You want to break into that psychopath’s lab and steal something from him?” Bangalore pulled back. “The same psychopath that will take any reason to justify torturing someone to death?”

“I didn’t think ya would chicken out so easily ‘Nita.”

“I’m not chickening out, do you even have a plan to do this, let alone even know where he keeps his stuff?”

Lifeline popped a hip out and raised an eyebrow as she pressed a button on the remote. One of the screens changed to map of the city and with another button press the blue prints of a building were pulled up on the screen next to it.

“The yellow marker is the location of the building that Caustic’s lab is inside of and the red is where we are. From the research I’ve done in this building, I’ve been able to map out where the lab is, the surveillance cameras are, where all of the entrances and vents are, along with the power grid. If we approach from the west side and slip inside, we will have access to the control panel. From there we can knock out the security protocols and unlock any doors necessary to get to his lab. After that we just need to grab a small canister or two and escape before anyone notices us. I’m sure the three of us will have no issue pulling that off especially with Wraith’s void walking and portal making.”

Bangalore folded her arms across her chest. “What about traps? He sure loves them in the games, there’s no doubt he has his lab littered with them.”

“We have two options to deal with them. One, Wraith voidwalks past them, or the original method of shooting the control panels on the device. A straight shot will cause it to short circuit and destroy the sensors.”

Bangalore hummed.

“For the escape I can set up a portal to a location a small distance from the lab,” Wraith spoke up. “I’ll close it right after we get through so we can’t be followed easily.”

“Great! That’ll give us a head start. As for transportation and weaponry, I’ve got everything we need here. The frontier corps has a number of small hover skiffs and ya both can pick out your gun of choice on the condition that ya clean it afterwards perfectly.”

“No problem there,” Bangalore smirked.

“As for ammo though, can’t go with more than just one magazine full, that shit is expensive. So no shooting at the ground ok ‘Nita?”

It was just another tease, but Bangalore couldn’t help but grumble. She didn’t dare look at Wraith and be even further embarrassed by whatever reaction she had to hearing that jab. Lifeline’s research was thorough, on top of everything she had laid out for them she had also collected data on Caustic’s routine. By this time of night Lifeline assured them that Caustic had already left his lab and had headed home. They went over the plan one more time before heading to the armory. Bangalore picked out one of the P2020s, not failing to notice that it definitely used to belong to the IMC, and made sure to grab the largest magazine available. Bullets were loaded in a matter of seconds. Doing such an action didn’t even require any thought due to how many times Bangalore had done this very same thing. For a moment as Bangalore looked out at Lifeline checking over her alternator and Wraith strapping a spitfire to her back, Bangalore couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia. Fellow legends were replaced with the images of her squad as they had gotten ready for what would end up being their last mission together. Fingers paused, the last bullet barely inserted into the magazine. Bangalore blinked away the burn in her eyes and shook her head as the last bullet was loaded. Dark brown eyes passed over Wraith’s choice of weapon again. She seriously wondered why Wraith felt the need to bring such a large gun. This was a covert mission, not the games.

Ten minutes later the three of them were riding on a small hover skiff. It was a very familiar piece of equipment and only took a few seconds for Bangalore to locate the shadows of the IMC branding that had been removed. Her usual frown deepened. How much of the frontier corps gear _wasn’t_ stollen from the IMC? Lifeline touched down in an alley next to the building with little noise. They moved as a unit, watching their angles and progressing towards the outer door. In seconds Lifeline picked the lock and they were in. A cloud of smoke would have been a great cover from the security cameras, but it also was a dead giveaway that something was going to happen. Fortunately, there was a blind spot on the rotating camera’s path giving them enough time to slip towards the control panel. Bangalore and Wraith stood guard as Lifeline picked the lock and shut down the lights, security, and cameras in the building. That action was sure to put whomever in the building on the alert, but hopefully they would be too distracted with getting things back online to search for why things had gone offline to begin with. Bangalore figured they had fifteen minutes at best to get in, grab the gas, and get out. All three of them swiftly and silently made their way towards Caustic’s lab.

Shutting down the security system had an obvious, but unaccounted for issue. The large door that lead into Caustic’s lab now had to be moved manually without the help of the hydraulics that would have been activated by the security AI. The task of moving the door unanimously fell to Bangalore. A low grunt was forced past gritted teeth as she shoved the door to the side centimeter by centimeter. Anyone near them would hear the metal door scraping across the floor. She could only hope that their attention was still elsewhere. As the door was fully opened and they stepped in, the familiar pop and hiss sounded off right before the green smoke began to invade their vision. Of course there was a trap next to the door, where else would Caustic hide his gas cannisters? Bangalore quickly scanned the large, dark room through the smoke and spotted several more familiar shapes with the same glowing control panel. More fun traps. Rapid fire from her P2020, hopefully disabled the sensors like Lifeline had said they would. It was just like in the games, that burning on every centimeter inside and out of her that was brought into contact with the gas’s chemicals. She stifled her coughs as best as she could until the effects began to subside. They moved in, searching high and low for a canister of the gas, doing their best to not disturb things and to not leave any traces of DNA. The pressure was on. It was only a matter of time until someone noticed the opened door, got the security system back online, or until one or all of them started hallucinating.

Bangalore would have pegged Caustic to be a very organized individual, however it seemed he was organized in ways that she wouldn’t have chosen to be. Papers were spread out this way and that, equipment was clustered together in small groups, and the familiar gas bombs were nowhere in sight. Sweat began to run down the back of her neck as they continued to search. Maybe there was a safe they were kept in, or another room they still needed to check. Lifeline knocked out a few more traps as they moved deeper into the lab.

Finally, after a few stressful minutes, Wraith recommended that they check behind one of the lab tables. Lifeline and Bangalore worked to pick up the table together and move it away from the wall soundlessly.

“This has to be it,” Lifeline mumbled as the ran her hands over the wall searching for a lever or switch.

It was hard for Bangalore to stand there and watch. Her body wanted to lash out and kick the flimsy wall in or do something! This was taking too long.

“Got it!” Lifeline silently exclaimed.

The lower portion of the wall opened up to reveal a small storage area that was filled with crates holding a number of the trademark gas bombs. Bangalore almost let out a sigh of relief. They found it just in time. Lifeline crouched down and grabbed two from the partially filled crate on the top. At first glance Caustic should never be able to tell that something was missing. He would have to count to see how many there were to know for sure. The gas bombs were ironically stored in one of the belts that normally held Bangalore’s smoke canisters. It reminded Bangalore of the many drills she did back in basic training. The apprehension of having something attached to her that could seriously hurt her if bumped the wrong way hit her in full force. She really had no idea how fragile these things were and wasn’t keen on finding out.

Lifeline turned around to face Bangalore and Wraith. She mimed the motions of Wraith creating a portal and pointed at Bangalore then the table. Both of them nodded in understanding. While Bangalore and Lifeline closed the secret compartment and put everything back in place, Wraith was sprinting out of there to create their rapid escape. As the void opened Lifeline and Bangalore shared a glance. There was no turning back once they left with the stolen gas bombs. Bangalore charged in first into the void.

Instantly everything was turned into this purple and grey reality that sped by as her body flew to wherever the ending point of the portal. At one point Bangalore could have sworn she saw other people moving through this reality. She gracefully tumbled out of the portal on her trembling jelly legs. It was nothing like she thought it would be and her body wasn’t sure if it liked doing that. Her head was swimming and her guts felt like they had been rearranged and tied into one of those flamboyant bows seen on holiday gifts. The thwip of another person coming in behind her sounded out a second before a warm arm was wrapped around her waist to steady and her guide her towards the hover skiff.

“I gotcha, now keep moving,” Lifeline said with a wink.

Bangalore wasn’t able to make any sort of response.

Wraith was sitting on the fired-up skiff waiting silently for them. Bangalore tripped onto the skiff with the same grace that she had exited the portal with. Lifeline chuckled as she pushed Bangalore to lie down on the floor of the skiff.

“First time walking the void?”

Cheeks heated up as she managed a weak nod.

“Don’t worry, my first time was not to different either.”

The advice to hang on from Wraith was the only warning they got before the skiff took off and began to zip through the streets at a very fast pace. Bangalore held onto the metal railing near her for dear life, her knuckles turning several shades lighter. Lifeline braced herself and let out a string of curses as they took a ninety degree turn at top speed. Maybe they didn’t need to worry about Caustic getting mad about the gas when the changes of them surviving this trip back to Lifeline’s lab were much smaller.

Hydraulics hissed as the doors to Lifeline’s lab opened for the three figures.

“Welcome Ms. Che,” Penelope greeted. “Sergeant First Class Anita Williams and Renee Blasy have entered your lab.”

“Thank you Penelope,” Lifeline waved off as she was far too tired to tell the AI that she was well aware that those two had entered her lab.

The ride back with Wraith driving had been eye opening to say the least. Wraith had to have some sort of pilot background to pull off a number of stunts she had done. There was only so much forewarning the voices in Wraith’s head could give her right? Light hazel eyes glanced at Bangalore. The former IMC soldier looked like she had seen better days. Her skin had a more greyish tone to it and she was still unsteady on her feet no matter how hard she was trying to hide it.

“Just put them over there on the table, I’ll have a better place for them later,” Lifeline directed to Bangalore who was obviously looking to get rid of the gas bombs strapped to her chest.

A silent nod in agreement was given. Lifeline internally sighed, there was such a thing as being too quiet, she had hoped some of Bangalore’s chattiness had come back by now. It was always pleasant to hear that lower, strong voice. Happy beeps pulled Lifeline’s attention to her D.O.C. as it zoomed over to her.

“Hey there,” she smiled as she patted its head.

It spun around in place and made several more beeps.

“Ya two come on over here and let Docky patch ya up. We all breathed in some of that gas and I don’t want to start my testing just yet.”

Wraith walked over with little hesitation and surprisingly enough Bangalore made no objections. The three of them sat around the drone as it administered the healing solution to them through its chords. When it finished the dose Lifeline went to her refrigerator, pulled out a bottle of scotch, and scooped up three clean, metal cups.

“To our first successful mission together,” Lifeline said as she poured a little in each cup and handed them out.

“I’ll drink to that,” Bangalore lifted her cup up before throwing the whole thing back.

“Agreed,” Wraith held hers up as well.

The liquid burned as it raced down Lifeline’s throat. She was going to need more of that.

“Who is up for another round?” She smirked.

While the three shared a couple more drinks together none of them thought to check over the gas bombs on the table and the small, green, blinking light activated on the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses on what the blinking lights mean?
> 
> Hope you are all enjoying the story as well as staying safe and healthy.


	21. Telltale Canisters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting last week, but I hope these next chapters make up for it!

Last night was a success, that Lifeline knew for sure. One, Caustic wasn’t on her doorstep threatening bodily harm until he got his gas back, and two, both Bangalore and Wraith had positively responded to the invitation to meet up again that evening.

“Ms. Che, Renee Blasey and Sergeant First Class Anita Williams are at your door,” Penelope’s voice sounded out in the room.

“Right on time,” Lifeline grinned. “Go ahead and let them in.”

Double doors opened and the two walked in. Wraith silently regarded her with a nod and proceeded to take a seat on the same generator as yesterday while Bangalore got within a couple of meters and casually looked over the new setup Lifeline had constructed on her tables. The two legends looked like they had come from the training grounds as they both smelled of the standard soaps offered in the showers there and their slightly damp hair. Lifeline hadn’t done any training today as she was far too excited to work on the antidote to even consider doing anything else. So far she had moved all of the gas into a small, clear, vacuum chamber that could parcel it out in the desired quantities, and had ran her machines for several iterations to have them break down the chemical make-up of samples of the gas. From there she had determined the common compounds that she could dive into and isolate the one or ones responsible for the hallucinations. Needless to say, she was excited to go over her plans for their little group. Hopefully they would be onboard with what she wanted to do next.

“Welcome back! Looks like I didn’t scare ya away with last night’s little adventure!” She greeted them with a wide smile.

“What is it that you are planning?” Wraith went right to the point.

“And why do you need us again?” Bangalore was still as reluctant as ever.

“I’ve been hard at work figuring how what this gas is made of, now what I need to do is create a series of test antidotes that will target and neutralize the compound or compounds that cause the shadow hallucination. From there each of the antidotes need to be tested on someone who is experiencing the shadow hallucinations-”

“Hold up,” Bangalore cut Lifeline off, “I’m not here to be your guinea pig and go through that hell however many times it takes-”

“I’ll do it,” Wraith stated.

“Will ya both let me finish my statement?!” Lifeline folded her arms across her chest and glared at Bangalore.

The former soldier’s cheeks darkened with embarrassment as she looked down and muttered something indiscernible. Lifeline sighed, she did have to give Bangalore a little slack, she was the one who had the worst case out of all of them, so it wasn’t surprising she’d quickly object to going through it again.

“Each antidote test will be loaded into my D.O.C. and then I will inject the gas into my system and wait for the hallucinations to settle in. Injection is a much more efficient method of activating the effects as it doesn’t have to work through the lungs to get to the blood stream and nervous system. Once the hallucinations have started, I will need ya both to heal me and keep track of how long and how much serum is used.”

“You should test on me as well so you have two different test results to further refine the antidote,” Wraith spoke up, “I can keep myself level for the most part with the help of the voices.”

“I can’t argue with ya point of having two data sets. How do ya feel ‘Nita about being the one keeping track of the time and amount of serum used to get us back to normal?”

Bangalore’s round lips were pressed into a line, her arms tightly folded across her chest. “That means I will also need to make sure neither of you damage anything or anyone while you are hallucinating and I will have to work with that,” she pointed at the D.O.C.

A valid point, the D.O.C. and Bangalore didn’t really get along. Lifeline motioned for her D.O.C. to come over.

“I’ll make sure it knows that ya both are working together on this and that no shocking is to happen. Right?” she stared down her drone.

It seriously beeped and nodded its optic. Bangalore didn’t seem convinced.

“Are you willing to help us out?”

Dark brown eyes looked away for a moment. “Yes,” Bangalore eventually conceded. “But both of you need to be weaponless and no voidwalking while we are doing this. The last thing I need to worry about is getting killed or having one of you escape.”

“I can’t promise no voidwalking, but I will make sure I don’t have any weapons on me.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Lifeline shrugged. “I’ll teach ya a few things about Docky here so ya can get the right data.”

“Alright. So when are we starting this?”

“Ms. Che, you have a visitor,” Penelope suddenly chimed in.

“A visitor? At this time of night? Show me who it is Penelope!”

One of the screens turned to the security camera outside of the door. Lifeline felt her stomach sink. Today had been such a good day too. Standing there, staring right at the camera was none other than Alexander Nox. She silently cursed. How could he know? This was just some crazy coincidence. They had covered their tracks well so it would have been very unlikely that they had been detected. There was no way he was here about the missing gas. They would just play it cool, find out why he was here, and then send him on his way.

“Let him in,” Lifeline ordered Penelope.

Bangalore stared at her like she was crazy while Wraith simply raised an amused eyebrow. The doors opened and Caustic casually walked in, his heavy boots thumping on the metal floor.

“Ah…how serendipitous that all three of the people I wanted to speak with are all right here,” came the muffled voice. “Saves me the trouble of having to hunt you each down. Although such a task would be enlightening in regards to your personal behaviors.”

“So what brings ya here to my lab Caustic?” Lifeline decided to go with a friendly tone. She hadn’t done anything wrong and she had nothing to hide.

“I am here to collect my dues.”

“For what?”

“The stolen gas, the destruction of my inflatable gas traps, and the invasion of my property.”

“Ya what?”

Caustic stopped a few feet from Lifeline and looked around the room. “I see you have a greenish gas in your container over there. One must wonder how you came about it around the same time someone broke into my lab. It’s certainly suspicious.”

“Not all green gases are yours Caustic. Besides, how can you say it’s a recent addition? This is the first time ya been here,” Lifeline calmly countered.

“Valid points, but I’m sure you will find this security footage both interesting and enlightening,” he said as he pulled out a data pad and had it project a medium sized screen into the air.

They all watched as the silent video played. It was from an angle inside of Caustic’s lab. For the first few seconds nothing was happening, but then a figure darted into view and began to wander around. That figure was then followed by two others, making it to be three of them obviously searching the place. It was unmistakable who the three people were. Lifeline wanted to smack her forehead for not calculating for additional cameras not on the general security network. They should have worn disguises.

“Even if it was impossible to tell who these thieves were, I simply followed the GPS signals on my missing canisters. How interesting it was that they led me right here.” Caustic looked down at Lifeline as if daring her to continue her farce.

Ajay folded her arms and popped a hip out. “So? What of it?”

“It seems that you already have purposes for the gas you stole from me. I will not demand for it back, but require a fair trade.”

“And what are ya calling a fair trade?”

“You have a sample of my gas and I get a sample of your healing serum in return.”

Lifeline’s heart stopped for a moment. That was her main advantage. Giving Caustic a sample of her serum would make it so he could work to nullify her healing effects as well.

“And on top of that I require payment for my destroyed gas traps and the invasion of my lab. You owe me a total of 24,000 for the traps and 50,000 for trespassing,” he shifted his attention to Bangalore, “and you owe me-”

“I don’t owe you jack shit!” Bangalore immediately snapped back.

Caustic paused for a moment and then looked over at Wraith who was playing with one of her kunais. Milky white eyes bored holes through the goggles on Caustic’s face. A silent dare was issued by the more successful legend for him to say anything. A low hum was let out and the attention was returned to Lifeline.

“Shouldn’t be hard to repay me, you are no stranger to wealth.”

Lifeline bristled. “I advise ya to not poke ya nose in areas it doesn’t belong. I provide for myself and I donate the majority of my winnings to help others. If anyone here can afford having a few thousand dollars’ worth of equipment repairs it would be ya.”

“Truly I care little about the money,” Caustic took a heavy step closer, “What I care about is having those who dared to trample over my lab and steal from it to pay for their actions.” He loomed over Lifeline, staring down at her.

Off to her side Lifeline would feel Bangalore taking a step closer as well.

“I am generously offering a painless, monetary, and scientific exchange. There’s no doubt you would prefer this offer to other options I would love to employ.”

Light hazel eyes wandered over to her drone that was levitating by her side. She reached out and it happily zoomed into her arms.

“She doesn’t owe you jack shit either,” Bangalore stood to Lifeline’s defense. “You should have kept your psychological tampering out of your gas and kept it purely physical.”

“There are no rules against it.”

“There are few rules to begin with.”

“I can bring in whatever specialty I want just as you can. I will not let your own lack of initiative and intelligence to better your own gear limit me from improving my own,” Caustic simply stated.

Bangalore’s cheeks darkened as she made a move to charge at Caustic for that comment. Lifeline quickly stuck her arm out to stop her.

“‘Nita…I handle the consequences for my actions, not anyone else.”

Bangalore closed her mouth and glared at Lifeline. She could tell there were any number of things the former soldier wanted to say, but she took one step back and folded her arms across her chest.

“Such fascinating behavior,” Caustic commented. “Perhaps I better understand why you didn’t kill her. I would have never expected for her to come to your defense of all people.”

Bangalore visibly stiffened and Lifeline gritted her teeth. That was the last event that needed to be brought up right now.

“Ya getting off topic, ya want a sample of my serum or not?”

“Indeed I do.”

“A fair trade would be measured in mass. Both of ya contained 25 grams of gas, so ya will get 50 grams of my healing serum. No more and no less.”

“I find those terms agreeable. And the money?”

“Ya can count that paid in full since I’m the reason ya were able to sell the IMC gear for the price ya did,” Lifeline snapped. “They wouldn’t have given ya the time of day otherwise.”

She wasn’t going to stand for any unnecessary extortion. Giving up her healing serum was bad enough as it was. Lifeline walked over to one of her measuring devices and had her D.O.C extend one of its cables out. Before she had it start releasing the liquid, she double checked the date and batch number of the serum contained inside. Good, it was the one she had thought it was. Drop by drop the serum was measured out until it reached 50.00 grams. It was then transferred into a tube and sealed up.

“Here ya are,” Lifeline finished as she handed over the tube. “Our business is done here.”

“I appreciate your willingness to trade. If you are in need of more in the future, come discuss with me instead of sneaking around when I’m not there.”

Caustic didn’t have to have his gas mask removed for Lifeline to know he was grinning triumphantly. There was no doubt in her mind that any future trades wouldn’t be so balanced. They had to figure out the antidote with what they had as asking for anymore was out of the question.

“I bid you all a good day,” Caustic said as he turned around and headed for the exit.

Lifeline didn’t relax until the doors had closed behind him and locked.

“Penelope!”

“Yes Ms. Che?” the AI spoke up.

“Alexander Nox is not to be allowed in this lab unless I give explicit permission for him to be. All instances of him being in or near the lab and this building are to be reported to me in detail.”

“Understood.”

Lifeline turned to face the two women in her lab.

“It’s pointless now isn’t it?” Wraith shrugged. “You both will just cancel each other out.”

“Not quite. I was using up some old serum batches so they didn’t expire,” Lifeline patted the top of her drone. “The stuff I have in the games versus what is currently in my D.O.C. is a couple of iterations later. He still got a sample, but it’s not my best solution.” A small grin slipped onto her face. At least she had been able to tilt things ever so slightly in her favor.

“Good thinking,” Wraith said. “When will you be ready to test the first antidote?”

“Give me a couple of days, got a few matters to attend to, plus my own training. But once we get started there’s no stopping!”

Wraith nodded. “I’ll keep an eye out for your messages.”

With that the voidwalker hopped off the generator and headed out the doors leaving Bangalore and Lifeline alone in the large lab.

“Renee Blasey has left the lab,” came the AI’s voice.

The IMC soldier in question was staring at the blank video screens, arms folded tightly across her chest, a deep frown on her face, and her back to Lifeline. Something was definitely off as the previously open and curious Bangalore was closed off and sullen. She blamed Caustic for ruining their good night. Lifeline sighed and walked over.

“‘Nita…” she breathed out as she raised her hand to place it on Bangalore’s shoulder.

“Don’t touch me,” Bangalore snapped as she pulled away. “And stop calling me that!”

The gloved hand jerked back; then fell to Lifeline’s side. “I’m sorry, Bangalore.”

For a moment the two stood there in silence.

“It’s not easy for me to be here and it takes so little for those memories to come racing back.” Bangalore’s voice was laced with anger and pain. Dark brown eyes met light hazel ones. “Is this you? Is this what you are really like? Or was that you? How long until I see or become someone you use for what they are worth and then just discard them?” Bangalore looked away.

A heavy pause hung in the air.

“I don’t…mind…the Lifeline I’ve been getting to know, but when the memories of those days come back… It hurts…and it’s confusing.”

Lifeline wanted to close the distance between them and hug the woman tightly. Offer her a shoulder to cry on and comfort her through her pain. She wanted to say something, apologize, but the words weighed heavily on her tongue. How would she even say it? Would it even be received? Would it just stir more painful memories up?

“All of it is me,” Lifeline finally said.

Bangalore looked at her from the side.

“Ya just got to know the worst part of me first.” Lifeline looked around the room and hugged herself. “I shouldn’t have done that to ya.” The words came out slightly louder than a whisper. “I should have helped ya. We could have worked together. Let ya fix up ya plane and send ya home with as many supplies as ya could take. Instead I treated ya like a tool. Something I just needed to press the right combination of buttons to get ya to talk.” The corners of her eyes burned, but Lifeline held them back. She wasn’t going to start crying. “I did that to ya. I am sorry Anita for torturing ya and stranding ya on this planet. I should have never done that, ya deserved my help, not my cruelty.”

Bangalore looked away not saying anything.

After a few tense moments Lifeline decided it was best for her to give Bangalore her space. She headed over to her work table and began looking through her data. Out of the corner of her eye she kept occasional tabs on Bangalore. Several minutes passed with no movement, and then the woman turned and headed out the doors without a single word.

“Sergeant First Class Anita Williams has left the lab,” Penelope rang out.

“I know,” Lifeline whispered.

Hot liquid seeped out of the corner of her eyes and began to cut lines on her face. Gloved hands quickly swiped at the salty liquid. Lifeline blinked rapidly and sniffed. She hated when this happened, it always made it hard to read and concentrate. Concerned beeps came from her side as she felt a gentle nudge. She looked down to her drone gazing at her with its concerned optic. Arms were wrapped tightly around the warm drone as Lifeline buried her face and continued to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed and are staying safe and healthy!


	22. Test Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a good idea to inject poison into one's body right? For SCIENCE!!

Three days and the first antidote was ready. For those three days Lifeline barely slept or ate, buried neck deep in her medical research and antidote crafting. She had considered waiting another day and getting some rest and food, but the need to know how effective her antidote was burned stronger than those needs. Tired eyes watched as the tiny air bubbles were gently squeezed out of the tip of the syringe. The measurements were exact, now all she had to do was insert this into her healing serum and load it into her drone. Blue light from her D.O.C. illuminated the side of the serum container as it examined the liquid and beeped with a variety of tones. Excitement, worry, hesitation.

“Everything will go just fine,” Lifeline brushed off.

The needle pierced the valve and the antidote was carefully pushed into the serum. Light hazel eyes watched unblinking. She had tested many times how the two liquid compounds would interact, some of the first had disastrous results, and while she had figured out how to get them to cooperate, there was always that bit of uncertainty when the final results were put together. Fluids slowly mixed creating a color closer to teal than her typical blue. A frown pulled round lips down. Lifeline grumbled. The color of her serum didn’t matter, only its functionality did. Regardless, she had to acknowledge that she wanted it to remain its trademark color.

“I can figure that out later,” Lifeline waved off as she set the empty syringe down.

Gloved hands pressed a series of buttons and codes into her D.O.C. resulting in the middle of the top opening up and a second container rising up. This one was mostly empty. Carefully she set it on the counter. All three of the drone’s cords were pulled out and were activated so any healing serum still in them was emptied into the extracted container. Next step was a system flush. Lifeline carried her D.O.C. over to her sink and hooked it up to the filtered water line. Performing tasks like this was second nature to her with how many times she had done them. Purified water began to run through the drone’s system. Eyes flickered over to her communication device laying a meter away from her. Wraith had promptly responded per usual, however Bangalore’s response had yet to come in. If there was going to be a response at all. Lifeline closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fighting back the burning sensation in her eyes. Bangalore could easily be in the middle of training, that woman certainly did like to overwork herself. She opened her eyes and checked again. Still nothing. Her drone emitted a couple of concerned beeps as its optic looked up at her.

“It’ll be fine, still got a couple of hours before we are supposed to meet up here,” Lifeline brushed off.

With the system flush complete, now it was time to load the new serum.

“She will show up.”

“Renee Blasey is at your door,” Penelope rang out.

“Let her in.”

Lifeline had been hoping the both of them would arrive together like they had the last time. Maybe Bangalore got a little sidetracked or had to run a quick errand.

“Ya ready for this?” Lifeline put on a smile and warmly greeted Wraith.

Milky white eyes examined her for a moment, an eyebrow raising up. “Are you?”

“Never better! Figured a little recreation of the sleep deprivation and hunger from the games would help the gas effects happen faster.”

Wraith stared at her for a long moment before shrugging and moving to sit on her generator.

“Bangalore isn’t here already?”

Lifeline pressed her lips together and shrugged as she was typing away on her drone, setting up the timer and measurement method.

“She’s got her own schedule to keep.”

“Yeah, I just figured she’d be here already since she left the training grounds before I did,” Wraith said.

“She did?”

Lifeline’s gut began to sink. Maybe Bangalore wasn’t going to show after all. Not only would it really mess up the plans they had for carrying out this experiment, but Lifeline had been counting on Bangalore being the one she was doing it with. Light hazel eyes wandered over to the two prepared syringes full of Caustic’s gas that she had compressed into liquid form. Just the idea that she might have to face the shadows without Bangalore there to help terrified her. Normally steady hands began to shake. Lifeline blinked rapidly and took a deep breath.

“You two are friends, right?”

Lifeline looked over her shoulder at Wraith. “What?” the shakiness in Lifeline’s voice was perceptible.

“You are friends with Bangalore, right?”

“Wh-why would you think that?”

Why was her composure breaking down so quickly right now? Why did it matter so much to have Bangalore there? Eyes darted towards the digital clock on the wall. It was almost ten minutes past the meeting time. Why did it hurt that she wasn’t?

“For one you teamed up inside of the games even when not on the same squad, no one does that with someone they don’t trust.”

We had a common goal. The counter point bubbled up in Lifeline’s throat but she kept it silent, opting to let Wraith continue with what she had to say.

“Two, you both were going to be initially working on this experiment before I came along.”

She wasn’t convinced until you showed up.

“Three,” Wraith counted on her fingers, “I’ve noticed you two like to hangout on the balconies during the awards ceremonies.”

We were fighting most of those times.

“Do I even need to bring up the rescue healing you did when Bangalore was hallucinating after the games?”

“I’m a doctor,” a calculated counterpoint was let out. “I wasn’t about to let that shit happen on my watch.”

Wraith closed her mouth, eyes carefully studying Lifeline.

“I don’t keep tabs on her and she don’t on me. She can show up if she wants to or not, either way I am going through with this,” the combat medic firmly stated as she stood up and walked over to the two syringes filled with green liquid.

The resistance she was putting against the tears wanting to fall down her cheeks was steadily crumbling. It mattered to Lifeline, it mattered A LOT to have Bangalore there. More than it should she tried to rationalize and scold herself. They weren’t friends, but she wanted them to be. A small metal cup was filled with filtered water and slowly drunk. Lifeline let out a long breath as she lowered the cup from her lips.

“We are acquaintances at best, just two legends trying to earn some good money and make it to the next day,” a composed Lifeline tried to convince herself and Wraith. “We might have some-”

“Sergeant First Class Anita Williams is at the door,” Penelope’s voice cut the rest of her sentence off.

“She came!?” Lifeline’s tone completely changed, more of her usual pep jumping right into it.

She stared at the security cameras video feed, not believing her eyes for the moment. There she was, Bangalore, standing right outside of her lab’s door wearing her now trademark tan skirt, gear, and her ever so serious expression.

“Let ‘Nita in!” Lifeline practically shouted at her AI.

“Yes Ms. Che.”

Wraith rolled her eyes.

The doors opened up and Bangalore walked in, her body moving in a stricter manner that immediately reminded Lifeline of the woman’s military background. Bangalore stopped a meter in front of Lifeline with her feet shoulder width apart and her hands behind her back.

“Ya had me worried there for a moment Bangalore, thought maybe I should go out and find ya,” Lifeline opted for a small tease.

“I know how to get here,” Bangalore didn’t rise to the tease.

Lifeline deflated a little. It was back to being more or less forced politeness between them.

“Well ya just in time, we were about to get started. I got the injections ready and the new serum with antidote 1.0 loaded into my drone. Follow me, I’ll show ya how to work with Docky here.”

Bangalore nodded. “Evening Wraith,” Bangalore spared a small greeting to the void walker watching them.

Wraith silently returned the greeting.

It was simple enough to show Bangalore how to read the D.O.C,’s display screen, how to start the timer, and were to find the amounts of serum that passed through each cord. A lot of people liked to assume and insult Bangalore’s intelligence level, but the woman learned quickly and had good questions to ask. Lifeline had to hold her tongue when Bangalore had pulled out her notepad and pen to jot down notes on. It was just too adorable to see her sitting there all focused while she wrote with the hand sized pen on the small pad.

“Now,” Lifeline began as she held her drone up and looked into its optic, “Ya are working with Bangalore to keep things under control here and get us back to normal. No hurting her ok?”

It beeped and nodded its optic.

“Ya gotta watch each other’s backs now, ok?”

Another affirmative beep.

“And ya be nice to Docky, if I find out ya hurt it for no reason, I will have a bone to pick with ya,” Lifeline directed to Bangalore.

“I’m willing to work with it,” Bangalore huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

“Great, that’s settled, now we can do the injections and wait around for the shadows to pop up.” Lifeline walked over to the two syringes.

“Hold up,” Bangalore held her hand up. “Both of you need to remove any weapons on your person. I’m not getting shot or stabbed while trying to do my part because I got mixed in with the shadows.”

“Fair enough,” Lifeline shrugged.

For the next couple of minutes various knives and guns were pulled out of secret places, off of tables, and counters, and stored away in a safe. Once Bangalore was satisfied, Lifeline and Wraith prepared themselves for the injection.

“Any idea how long it will take for it to kick in?” Wraith asked as she pulled up her sleeve.

“My last dose in the games took about 24 hours to fully settle in. I’m guessing maybe in half the time it will be at it’s full effect and we can start the healing process,” Lifeline spoke through the rubber in her mouth as she tied her own tourniquet and pumped her fist to get a vein to pop up.

“Alright,” Wraith nodded.

Lifeline held her syringe up. For a brief moment her sweat went cold as memories of the shadows creeped in. Light hazel eyes darted to Bangalore who was standing there poised with her timer, ready to capture how long it takes for the hallucinations to settle in. Lifeline wanted to say something or just ask for some reassurance that it wouldn’t last forever. Bangalore would be able to get them both back to normal, right? She wouldn’t give up on them and be able to handle whatever happened right? Words felt too jumbled on her tongue. A heavy sigh was let out.

“Penelope!”

“Yes, Ms. Che?”

“Lock all doors and windows and only allow them to open when both Bangalore and I give the agreement to.”

“Understood, Ms. Che.”

“Alright,” Lifeline grinned through her unease, “On three?”

Wraith and Bangalore nodded. The needles pierced the skin and found their way into a vein.

“1…2…3!”

Plungers were slowly pushed to the bottom, then Bangalore held a small gauze pad on both of their insertion points. Syringes were removed and the gauze was secured in place with tape. Lifeline let out a small sigh of relief. No instant horrible effects aside from the burn racing through her body from injecting literal poison. A low hiss was let out in response.

“Now, we wait,” Lifeline put on her best smile despite how unsettled she felt.

The first few hours were boring. Nothing happened at all. The burning sensation only lasted a few short minutes, then their bodies seemed to be working to process the poison. Bangalore took a short nap on accident. She jerked awake from her slumped position in the chair and immediately rambled off a number of excuses for why she fell asleep as she jumped to her feet and began to pace around to wake herself up. Lifeline was tempted to tell Bangalore how cute she looked while she slept, but figured it was not an appropriate time. Next time she was going to capture a picture.

Six hours in and Lifeline swore she saw a shadow in the corner of her eye. Wraith denied having seen any shadows yet. It worried her. She could feel something was off but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Wraith was showing signs of the paranoia seeping in as her eyes were wide and constantly moving about, or was she always like that? Even Bangalore had changed, gone was her bored expression and sleepy eyes, she was now watching the two of them like a hawk. Or was she just misreading Bangalore’s resting face? Lifeline look down the long side of her lab.

“Fuck!”

Seeing the shadow almost made her jump out of her skin. It was a far distance off, but still there and definitely looking right at her.

“‘Nita…” Lifeline quietly stated as she reached for the woman, never taking her eyes off the shadow.

“What?”

“I see one.”

“You do?” the annoyed tone suddenly became concerned.

“Yeah, in the corner.”

“Ok. Just remember, they can’t hurt you.”

Lifeline swallowed and vigorously nodded.

By hour seven her mind was trapped in that dark misty hell surrounded by shadows. It was full evasion mode, if they couldn’t catch her then they couldn’t hurt her. One in particular was good at sticking with her and had a real foul mouth every time she slipped away. As long as she could avoid the shadows, she would remain calm.

A hand grabbed her wrist. Lifeline stopped and tried to twist her arm free, but the shadow kept its hold on her. Panic began to build. No. No. This couldn’t be happening, she needed to get free no matter what! The other shadows were closing in she didn’t have time! Her free hand dug around in her numerous pockets and found her lifesaver. The shadow cried out angrily as she fought back to get free.

“You said you had removed all your weapons!”

The loud, familiar voice acted like the sun after a rainy day, bringing clarity and a ray of hope.

“‘Nita?!” Lifeline called out. “Where are ya?”

“I’m right here in front of you!” came the angry reply.

Lifeline looked around but all she could see were the shadows coming after her. “Please ‘Nita help me, I can’t fight them all on my own.”

“They aren’t going to hurt you, I promise.”

As that voice said that, the closest shadow got a hold on her and twisted her arm behind her back. It was a lie! That never was ‘Nita talking to her! Lifeline lashed out with renewed determination.

“It’s me Bangalore!” the shadow shouted at her.

“There’s no way ya could be her! Get off me, let me go!”

“You need to stop fighting me!”

Even with her small tool striking out every way she could manage, the tide slowly went against her as it felt like her body was being trapped in a web of thick spider silk. She shouted out and cried. She thrashed about and searched for any weakness in the ties. She fought with every fiber of her being until it became undeniable that she was never going to escape this hell.

“‘Nita…please…where are ya?” Lifeline sobbed, her tears rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto the metal floor. “Help me ‘Nita…I need ya…”

No response ever came, just the continued swarm of shadows and the feeling of being dragged across the floor.

Some where in the midst of all the chaos, a calm began to settle on her mind. The shadows backed off and the distorted reality looked a little more like home. There were no improvements in getting out of the thick spider silk keeping her tied up. Lifeline closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. However, they didn’t open again as planned because her body was far too exhausted to stay awake and fight any longer.

Eyes snapped open, body tensing up. She was on the floor with rope around her wrists and ankles. Off to her left she could see Wraith tied up in a similar manner. The void walker was silently staring off into the distance.

“Finally,” came the familiar voice from outside of Lifeline’s vision.

The sound of a syringe being used was followed by heavy footsteps steadily getting closer to her. Lifeline wiggled around and lifted her feet towards her hands, searching for the knots in the rope. If she got her legs free doing the same to her hands would be easier.

“Not on my watch,” Bangalore grumbled as Lifeline’s legs were kicked away from her hands and pinned to the floor.

“What the hell?!”

“Now that’s a more usual response.”

Lifeline twisted her body so she could get a better view of Bangalore. The woman was standing behind her with one boot holding down her legs and her head tilted to the side as she looked down at Lifeline.

“Do ya mind?” Lifeline glared at Bangalore motioning with her head towards the offending boot.

“I do.”

Lifeline was about to snap back when she noticed all the blood on Bangalore’s clothes. Anger turned to concern.

“What happened to ya? Are ya ok?”

Dark brown eyes narrowed. “Two people who said they had removed all their weapons lied to me, then proceeded to attack me, so I tied both of them up.”

“What?”

Lifeline’s brain had to pause and search all of her memories. No, she had removed all of her weapons, they were locked up just as planned. A sigh came from Bangalore as she stepped away for a moment.

“I had everything put away there’s no way,” Lifeline objected. She would have never hurt Bangalore on purpose, that was the last thing she wanted to do.

Bangalore returned and crouched down in front of her face.

“This!” An object was thrust into her line of view. “Is a weapon, especially in your hands.”

Lifeline’s gut sank as she stared at the bloodied scalpel. It was her scalpel, there was no doubt about that as part of her initials could be seen on the handle where Bangalore’s glove wasn’t. As for the blood, it covered at least three centimeters worth, tip to handle, meaning she had gotten some deep cuts in.

“I…” Lifeline shook her head. “I’m sorry, I-”

“Next time I’m tying you both up before the hallucinations kick in,” Bangalore cut her off, her dark brown eyes regarding her zero warmth.

“I’m never comfortable with parting with that kunai,” Wraith spoke up.

“And I’m not comfortable with nearly getting my throat slit open or being stabbed multiple times,” Bangalore tossed over her shoulder. “Keep your kunai, but you’re getting tied up.”

Continuing down this path of conversation wasn’t going to end well.

“How many doses have ya given us already?” Lifeline changed topics before anything else could be said.

“Two,” Bangalore held up the respective fingers as she sat down on the area of the floor between Lifeline and Wraith and leaned back against the wall. “Are you still seeing shadows?”

Lifeline looked around the room, everything seemed to be back to normal, but she wanted to be sure. Lips were pressed together and a sharp whistle was let out. Her D.O.C. zoomed over to her from where it had been floating out of her sight. It approached her slowly, letting out a few concerned beeps and spared a glance towards Bangalore.

“Run a full body scan, and look specifically for the compounds that are in the gas,” Lifeline instructed.

It beeped and proceeded to do so for the both of them.

“What did ya find?”

The drone moved close enough so Lifeline could read the display.

“Looks like we are clear to go,” Lifeline directed to Bangalore.

“You both go ten minutes without seeing any shadows and I’ll consider undoing those knots.”

For some reason being told that she was going to have to stay on the hard floor in this uncomfortable position long just because, rubbed her the wrong way.

“Are you kidding me?!”

Bangalore simply held up the bloody scalpel and raised an eyebrow at her.

Lifeline’s further protests died on her lips as her guilt ate away at her insides. She turned her focus on trying to shift into a slightly more comfortable position. Ten minutes was going to feel like a long time.


	23. A Few Drink to Chase Away the Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What better way to recover from hallucinations and antidote testing than a few drinks?

Steam escaped into the air as the shower’s door was opened. Lifeline let out a sigh of relief. That shower had been much needed for a multiplicity of reasons. She took her time drying off and getting ready for the evening. It would be the first time she had left her lab in almost four days and boy was she excited about that.

“Who is ready for some alcohol and hot food?!” Lifeline exclaimed as she stepped into the main area of her lab, throwing her arms out wide.

Uncharacteristically, neither Wraith or Bangalore said anything at first. At least the both of them had gotten the chance to clean up and heal up in Bangalore’s case.

“Figured we should head out and celebrate our first successful testing session. I’m fucking hungry and I don’t have anything here to eat aside from IMC MREs.”

A stomach grumbled out. Round lips were pulled back into a grin. Bangalore was looking away, a hint of red dusting her cheeks. Everyone knew it was her stomach that made that noise.

“Let’s go,” Bangalore mumbled. “I could use a strong drink.”

“Agreed,” Wraith shrugged.

“Yes!” Lifeline punched the air.

Getting into one of Lifeline’s usual places was harder than anticipated. Two of them outright refused to let their group enter because of Bangalore, but thankfully the third let them in. Although when Lifeline thought about it, Bangalore was let in because Mirage was the owner and one of the bartenders of the place. As long as they obeyed the rules and didn’t go around causing unnecessary damage, fellow legends were always welcomed at his place. They slid into one of the open booths and passed around the menus.

“Mirage owns a bar?” Bangalore said as she glanced over at the holo-pilot as he chatted away with someone at the bar.

“Yeah, he loves interacting with people and did this to help pay the bills before he became a legend. Ya never been here before?” Lifeline was genuinely surprised at finding that out. If anywhere would accept Bangalore it would be here.

“Of course not,” Bangalore scoffed. “This whole bar and area of the city is full of frontier corps. Plus, I don’t exactly trust Mirage.”

Lifeline wanted to smack herself on the forehead. Of course Bangalore didn’t trust Mirage, how could she have forgotten that? She partially blamed her sleep and nutrition deprived brain. With a quick sweep of the room she could easily pinpoint several pairs of angry eyes already fixated on Bangalore. Showing up alone, even in a bar that welcomed all legends, would have been a tactical error for Bangalore. Gloved hands balled up into fists. Not tonight and not on her watch. Lifeline stood up and stepped onto their table.

“Listen up everyone! Ajay Che speaking!” her voice boomed over the music and chatter.

Surprisingly the music was turned down, courtesy of Mirage, and most people halted their conversations to look at her. Lifeline was anticipating having to shout a couple of times before people started to listen.

“It’s been a long day for me and I wouldn’t appreciate any disturbances while I chill and drink with my fellow legends,” she began as she casually stretched her arms. “So anyone who is considering doing just that better put in a call for the medics because they are going to be needing them.” Light hazel eyes took their turns staring down the few she had seen glaring at Bangalore. “Ya hear me?!”

No one really gave any sort of response and many just resumed their conversations but at lower volumes.

“Yeah Lifeline!” One random guy cheered from a few tables over, lifting his drink high.

“Exactly!” Lifeline smiled as she acknowledged him. “Elliott send a drink over to him, on me.”

“You got it!” Mirage returned with his usual finger guns.

“Yeah Lifeline!” Many more shouted out raising their drinks.

“Nah I see what ya all doing, only the first guy gets it.”

Sounds of disappointment drifted around.

“Ya support is appreciated. I’ll be kicking ass in the next games here shortly, memba mi tell yu.”

Cheers rose up once again in support of her. Her strategic move was effective, grab their attention, deliver the message/threat, then end on a high note. Lifeline hopped down into her spot next to Bangalore and picked up the menu. The music returned to its normal volume and everyone went back to their conversations. She could feel Bangalore’s gaze on her. A glance to the side confirmed that.

“What?” Lifeline shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “The only blood I want on my food tonight is the blood seeping out of my medium-rare leviathan steak.”

For a moment longer Bangalore stared at her before she looked away. “Nothing,” came the low response.

“Order what ya want ya two, tonight is on me,” Lifeline stated.

“Really?” Wraith said.

“Really, ya both helped me out a lot today. Just keep ya number of drinks within reason ok?” Lifeline finished with a wink.

“I won’t argue with that,” Wraith slightly smiled.

“I’m not taking no for an answer.” She pointedly stated in Bangalore’s direction.

Lifeline waited to see if Bangalore had any objections, and thankfully all she said was a simple thanks after a moment.

Soon orders were taken, drinks passed around, and dinners served. To say Lifeline was hungry was an understatement. It was hard to just eat it slowly, and after a few attempts Lifeline gave in and devoured her steak and grilled vegetables in a matter of minutes. She then sat back with a full belly and leisurely sipped at her second drink. Bangalore and Wraith were in the middle of an intense discussion about battle strategies and the best combination of weapons to carry. Everyone always had their favorites, she was fond of the alternator and flatline combo with a few thermite grenades on hand. Bangalore, not surprisingly, felt confident with all of the weapons, but it was easy to tell she favored the G7 scout. Wraith stood by her pick of the peacekeeper and R-301 combo. The void walker did like to sneak up and deliver knock-out hits.

At some point Mirage joined the table, passing out few rounds of complimentary shots. Lifeline eagerly accepted hers and tossed the first one back along with everyone else. The patron burned on its way down, effectively waking Lifeline up a little. She couldn’t help but glance to the side at Bangalore, watching as the woman downed a second shot like it was nothing. Mirage and another round of shots helped to get the more reserved members of her party to open up and talk. A few jokes here, a number of complaints there, a story or two told, Bangalore even laughed. Mirage was then challenged by his holograms to a drinking contest, which he swiftly lost as they slammed their hologram shot classes up and down in rapid fire. He only managed to get three down in the same time.

“OK, OK, two guys win, I’ll pay for the drinks,” he dramatically sighed. “Good thing they weren’t real, or that would have been a chunk of cash disappearing into thin air,” he finished with a wink.

“What’s up my bruddas?” Gibraltar’s booming voice drew their attention to his massive frame as he walked over to them. “Enjoying a night out?”

“We most certainly are!” Lifeline raised her shot glass into the air before downing it. She could already feel a good buzz, it was time to halt the alcohol, the plan was to have a good time, not get drunk.

Gibraltar threw his head back and laughed. “Any special occasion I should know about?”

“Nah just celebrating hard work,” Lifeline shrugged.

“A good reason as any to celebrate,” Gibraltar said as he took a seat next to Wraith.

The group dynamics shifted from there. Another person or two joined their table. Lifeline was certain she saw Wattson sitting between Bangalore and Wraith. The engineer, Wraith, Gibraltar, and maybe more had delved into a serious conversation. She didn’t mind, that meant that she got to people watch with Bangalore as Mirage had to leave to tend to provide some relief for his bartenders. They both tried to outdo the other in trying to guess professions or make up random life stories of the people they picked out. Lifeline had never been this close and relaxed with Bangalore.

It was strange yet so nice that she didn’t want it to end. They were sitting right next to each other where she could stare into those rich dark brown eyes for long moments loving how they sparkled whenever Bangalore smiled. Flushed cheeks, playful pushes, light teasing. Lifeline could feel the heat in her cheeks and how her heart raced in her chest. She wanted to get closer, she wanted to keep listening to Bangalore’s beautifully husky voice, she wanted… The spell they were under seemed to break when Gibraltar stood up and announced that he was moving to another spot in the bar. Bangalore blinked and seemed to shake something off. Gone was the relaxed posture and charming smiles, the Bangalore Lifeline was more familiar with had returned. A hesitant glance was sent her way by those dark brown eyes. Confusion.

Lifeline sighed heavily and looked around the table assessing the situation. It was just the four of them with Wattson and Wraith sitting close to each other. Lifeline didn’t have the energy to think on what that could mean. The rest of the night seemed to fade away as heavy eyelids drifted closed and she curled up against the warm body next to her. She was far too tired and happy to be upset about missing the rest of the evening with her fellow legends.

Part of the way through her dreamless sleep a rush of cold air startled her enough that her eyes briefly opened. No longer where they inside of the noisy, warm bar, they were outside in the cold where the only sounds that could be heard were the random vehicle and hushed conversations of those who were also out late.

“We’re taking her back to the lab?” Wraith’s voice came from off to the side.

“I don’t know where she lives,” Bangalore’s gruff voice was right above Lifeline.

The closeness would have made her jump had her limbs not felt like lead. Was she? There was that pressure against the back of her knees and her upper back, and then the sway that came from the shifting of weight from one leg to another. Lifeline forced her eyes to open just a little more. She didn’t need a second to recognize the gloves holding her or the armored chest plate she was leaned against. A smile formed on her lips as she snuggled into Bangalore’s strong arms.

“Will we be able to get in?” Wraith pressed.

“I’ll wake her up once we get to the door, just make sure none of her frontier buddies see us ok?”

“You two are friends, right? They have to know that.”

“I don’t know where you get that idea.”

There was a definite pause before Wraith spoke again.

“I’ll keep watch.”

Lifeline glanced up one more time, drinking in the sight of Bangalore’s cut jawline, her serious face, and the condensed air that left her lips with exhale she made. What a wonderful way to end the night.

“Lifeline.”

“Lifeline!”

“Ajay!”

The sound disrupted the blissful darkness she was in. Fluorescent lights poked at her eyes the instant she tried to open them. Lifeline grunted and placed her hand over her eyes. She just wanted to go back to sleep.

“Ajay, Penelope needs your command to open the doors.”

Penelope? Oh right her AI.

“Ajay.”

There was that hint exasperation that was so Bangalore.

“Mmm getting up.” Lifeline mumbled. “Penelope, let us in!”

“Welcome Miss Che. Renee Blasey and Sergeant First Class Anita Williams are at your door.”

“Let ‘m in,” Lifeline flopped her arm into the air.

The next few moments were hazy, she wasn’t able to fully open her eyes until she felt Bangalore’s warmth move away and for her to be sat down on the thin cushion that made up her futon. Arms began to slide off of Bangalore’s shoulders as the distance between them grew. Lifeline forced her head up to look into Bangalore’s eyes and for her arms to not completely side off. It had been a long evening.

“Thank ya ‘Nita,” she breathed out, one hand shifting to run up the side of Bangalore’s neck and to reach for the buzzed sides of her head. Fingers played with the short hairs and the curls close by. She loved the way her hair felt. “I couldn’t have done it without ya.” Lifeline could have sworn Bangalore leaned into the touch, her flushed cheeks darkening even more. “It meant so much to me to have ya here,” Lifeline continued.

Light hazel eyes darted down towards Bangalore’s lips. Her half drunken self just wanted to close that remaining few centimeters and kiss her. As enticing as it was, respecting Bangalore’s boundaries was more important. Hands continued to play with the buzzed sides of Bangalore’s head. Lifeline wanted to say more, but all of her words were far too jumbled in her mind. She felt a forehead against hers and hands sliding down her sides towards her hips, effectively scattering any thought she could have had. Dark brown eyes were staring right into light hazel ones. A hand slid forward, Lifeline’s thumb softly brushing over the corner of Bangalore’s lips, tugging it down for a moment. There was that tension, that charge in the air again, calling her, pulling them together. Lifeline’s other hand moved back to play with the hairs on the nape of Bangalore’s neck. Half lidded eyes looked down. Breaths were pulled in and out, carrying that hint of alcohol.

Neither of them was sober.

A kiss under these circumstances could do more damage than good. But oh did she want it.

“Ajay.”

Her name was barely whispered out, that husky voice sending chills down her spine. Hands tugged their faces closer. With the last threads of her rationality, Lifeline rotated Bangalore’s head ever so slightly so her lips pressed against the woman’s flushed cheeks, the corners of their mouths just barely touching.

“Thank ya ‘Nita,” she breathed against her skin as she pulled away.

No more, she couldn’t even kiss the other cheek without her resolve shattering. Lifeline let herself lay back onto the futon, hands releasing their gentle hold. Confused dark brown eyes stared down at her from where Bangalore hovered over her. A smile formed on round lips and light hazel eyes almost closed. She watched through the small opening as Bangalore worked to pull the blankets over her and tuck her in.

“Good night ‘Nita,” came the final whisper.

“Good night Ajay.”

Eyes were closed and Ajay turned onto her side. She wanted to end her night with that last visual, not with Anita walking away. A heavy sigh was let out as Lifeline drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So damn close...


	24. A Moment Captured

Waking up the next morning brought a headache and a few hazy memories. For a moment Ajay just sat there reflecting on the night out they had at Mirage’s bar. Regret, longing, and relief. She hadn’t done anything ridiculously stupid, but she hadn’t exactly been wise with all of her actions. Hopefully Anita had drank more than her and maybe didn’t remember the whole night. Light hazel eyes went wide when she suddenly remembered a specific detail. She had promised to pay for everyone but had definitely past the ability to do so when they had left the bar.

“Shit.”

Ajay scrambled for her communication device and sent a message to Mirage asking about the details on who paid for their food and drinks. For several minutes Ajay waited for the response, but none came in. She was losing patience. The device was grabbed again and a message was sent out to Wraith asking the same thing. If Wraith paid, that would be ok, paying her back would be no issue, but if Anita was the one who paid… Ajay shook her head, she didn’t want to have to think about that unless she had to. Luckily Wraith’s response came in quickly.

Wraith – Mirage paid.

That was surprising, but a relief. Ajay let out a huge lungful of air and flopped back onto her futon.

Lifeline – Great! I can reach out to him and arrange to pay him back.

Wraith – Don’t bother.

Lifeline - ???

Wraith – He said he owed Bangalore.

He owed? Wait… Eyebrows were furrowed together. Thumbs rapidly typed away on the screen.

Lifeline – Did he say why?

Wraith – Nope, Bangalore didn’t ask for an explanation either and just accepted it.

Lifeline – Huh…ok, well than I won’t push for details. Thanks Wraith!

Crisis adverted. Ajay set her communication device on her chest and closed her eyes for a moment. The tab had been paid and by Mirage nonetheless. She suspected it had to do with the residual guilt Mirage felt for being part of the whole extortion thing. Much to her surprise her communication device vibrated again. Round lips were pulled down into a frown as she lifted it up to look at the notification. Another message from Wraith. That was odd, Wraith normally wasn’t talkative. Ajay opened the message.

Wraith – You training today?

Lifeline – Not today, gotta work on analyzing the test results and start making modifications to the antidote.

Three dots appeared for a moment before a picture with a caption popped up. It was a selfie of Wraith sitting on a bench press with Wattson leaning in to smile from behind where she had been spotting the voidwalker’s lifts. Wraith sore a baggy, grey sweatshirt along with black, leggings while Wattson wore a cute, blue, form-fitting tank top and orange leggings. Both showed obvious signs of physical exertion. However, that wasn’t what caught Ajay’s eye. Off in the corner of the picture, was Anita in the distance by the kettlebells in the middle her workout with a 25kg bell being swung over her head. Fingers touched the screen and moved apart to enlarge that small corner of the image. Anita wore a set of olive green running shorts, ones that she must have bought from a store that sold old military equipment, and a black, cut off t-shirt. Unfortunately, due to the angle Ajay couldn’t see much of Anita’s legs, but her arms and a little sliver of her lower back were on obvious display. Eyes drank in the sight of those muscles, staring maybe a little too long. Anita appearing in Wraith’s picture was no accident, that woman was far too clever. Ajay finally read the caption and time stamp.

Wraith – We are still here if you want to join.

Sent almost five minutes ago; Wraith most definitely would have noticed her delayed response. Ajay bit her lower lip and silently cursed as she typed out her response.

Lifeline – Not this time, but I should get back to training the next games are in a few weeks. Let me know the next time ya hit the gym?

Wraith’s response showed up seconds later.

Wraith – Sure thing.

Ajay groaned, resting her forehead in her hand. After a moment of silence and no further messages, she spared a second glance at the picture. Before she could think about it and talk herself out of it, she saved the picture to her phone then promptly locked the screen and shoved it under her pillow.

“Fuck…” she whispered.

Going to the gym with Wraith ended up not happening as Ajay got wrapped up in her antidote crafting once again. At least she made sure to eat, sleep, and get in an hour or two of exercise in a day. Doing well in the games was what provided for herself and funded a good chunk of the frontier corps, she couldn’t lose sight of that. Thankfully making the modifications to the antidote only took a couple of days so she would get to see Anita, and Wraith, soon. Butterflies danced around in her stomach as she sent out the messages to the two. She hadn’t talked with Anita since they had gone to the bar, maybe she should have at least started some casual conversation. It was too late now, she would just have to wait for when Anita showed up to see if things were still about the same between them.

Her communication device vibrated and she jumped to grab it.

Bangalore – I’ll be there.

A huge smile broke out on Ajay’s face. Not just a prompt answer, but she was the first to respond. Thumbs typed away.

Lifeline – That’s great to hear.

She hesitated on sending. Should she end with an exclamation point or not? She didn’t want to sound over excited right? Or was the period not friendly enough? Round lips were pressed together. Ajay quickly scrolled through her social media posts. The exclamation point wouldn’t be out of character for her, she used them often.

Lifeline – That’s great to hear!

She hit send and then let out a sigh of relief. Her phone vibrating an instant later made her jump. The message couldn’t be opened fast enough, Anita rarely added more to a conversation.

Wraith – Got it.

Ajay cursed and locked her device. Of course the response was from Wraith…

Amused light hazel eyes watched as Wraith was being tied to a chair. To say the voidwalker was grumpy was an understatement. She complained about every single tie, making Bangalore redo them so they weren’t too tight, yet tight enough for Bangalore to also be satisfied. They bickered back and forth a number of times, but Bangalore generally won out. It was hard to argue with the fact that she had tried to kill Bangalore during the last test and had refused to surrender her kunai yet again. Finally, after nearly a half of an hour Wraith was secured to the chair in a manner that was acceptable to the both of them. Lifeline couldn’t help the laughter that had bubbled up past her lips. The temptation to take a quick picture was so strong. Lifeline lifted up her communication device.

“Don’t you dare!” Wraith instantly growled.

“Awwww, I’d only send it to Natalie,” Lifeline couldn’t help but tease. “Would be interesting to see what she thinks of ya letting Bangalore tie ya up.”

“I swear if you do that, I’m going to throw you into the void and lock you in there!”

Lifeline continued to laugh, Wraith’s normally very pale face had turned a nice shade of pink.

“Or maybe I should add a bunch of hearts around the image and say ya waiting here for her.”

“I’m going to rip your spine out and replace it with live electrical cables!” Wraith fumed as she fought against her restraints, her milky white eyes glowing.

Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes as that response only made Lifeline laugh harder.

“Or maybe-” she choked out.

“Or maybe you could put that away so I can get this over with,” Bangalore grumbled from off to the side.

“Awww c’mon! I’m sure Natalie would get a kick out of it.”

Bangalore stepped in front of Lifeline; effectively cutting off her view of Wraith. In her hands was another length of climbing rope.

“You are going to put that away, and I am going to tie you up.”

The way those words were said in that deeper, serious tone of Bangalore’s in addition to her standing tall over her made Lifeline think of a very specific situation with the two of them and a lot less clothing.

“Ya better choose ya words more wisely, don’t want to give a woman the wrong idea now would ya?” Lifeline smirked, punctuating the sentence with a wink.

Bangalore’s cheeks instantly darkened.

“Don’t you even start,” came the low warning.

Lifeline simply put her communication device away and raised her hands up in surrender. Bangalore silently went about tying her to the chair. The first time Lifeline felt Bangalore’s hand brush over the skin on her arm, she sucked in a quick breath of air. Oh shit… Bangalore rarely touched her, and even rarer was a gentle touch. Lifeline was now acutely aware of how many times there was a brush of physical contact while tying someone up. Each one lit her nerves on fire and steadily made her face heat up. She struggled to keep her composure and resorted to flirtatious responses to any questions Bangalore asked about how the ropes felt. Bangalore always buffeted the innuendos and kept things professional, but it was obvious it was having an effect on her. By the time Bangalore was done tying Lifeline up, both of their faces were varying shades of red and Wraith looked like she wanted to lock herself in the void just to get away from them.

“Alright,” Bangalore breathed out a heavy sigh of relief, “we are already four and a half hours in, in another two and a half you should both be starting to get the shadow hallucinations.”

Lifeline had been so busy teasing she had almost forgotten what they were doing in the first place. That sinking feeling started to creep in. She quickly shook her head, no that wasn’t the gas’s effects starting, it was just her mind recalling how it felt. There was still time to possibly enjoy this situation and frustrate Bangalore a little more.

“Didn’t know ya were this good at tying people up,” Lifeline tried as she tugged at a couple of the restraints.

“I’ve dealt with my fair share of war prisoners and interrogations,” Bangalore deadpanned, not even bothering to look up from her data pad.

That was a mood killer. Needless to say Lifeline didn’t have anything better to do, so she pushed a little farther.

“What? No special little lady ya have tied up for a night of fun?”

“No, this would be the firs-” Bangalore started answer automatically only to cut herself off. “I’m heading over here, I’ll be back when you two are losing your minds a bit more,” Bangalore abruptly walked to the other side of the lab.

“Awwww ‘Nita! Don’t be like that!”

“Don’t call me that!”

Lifeline shrugged, a sigh drifting past her lips. Her eyes made contact with Wraith’s.

“You’re a terrible person,” the voidwalker stated.

The levity of the previous hours was soon replaced by the horror and irrational fear that always accompanied the shadow hallucinations. It didn’t matter how many times she told herself that it wouldn’t hurt or that there was nothing to be afraid of, her body still acted as if it were real. Time got twisted in with everything making the garish scene feel like it had been around forever and for forever it would remain. Her only comfort in the steam of tears and calling out for help was the sight of her little drone hovering nearby and that familiar voice talking her through the nightmares. It would all be over soon. Lifeline held onto that with all of her might.

Piece by piece Lifeline’s reality came back to her. The quiet hum of all her electronics, the durable fabric her hands her clinging to, the smell of chemicals and cleaning product, the warmth surrounding her, the heartbeat in her ear… Lifeline blinked several times and began to look around. No, this, this wasn’t real…was it? It was her body armor, and there was no mistaking that beautiful face. But, Bangalore holding her was just to carry her back to the lab that one time, there’s no way that would happen again right? Yet there they were, Bangalore sitting on the lab floor, with her strong arms wrapped around Lifeline as she sat there curled in her lap. Lifeline held on a little tighter, not wanting this moment to end. She rubbed the residue of her tears off on Bangalore’s shoulder and chanced a glance up at the woman’s face. It could have been the lighting, but Lifeline could have sworn there was a blush on Bangalore’s face.

“You awake?” Bangalore’s concerned face looked down at her.

Lifeline timidly nodded.

“Good, you -uh- doing alright?”

Another nod.

“Good,” Bangalore also nodded. “Are you ready to, um, get up?”

She shook her head. “Can I just recover here for another minute?”

“Sure whatever,” Bangalore quickly looked away.

“Thank you,” Lifeline smiled.

The minute went far too quickly for Lifeline, but she didn’t want to push her luck. When she looked over at the table she spied Wraith putting away her communication device.

“How ya doing?”

“All recovered,” Wraith shrugged, “and eager to go get some training in.”

“Ya don’t want to go grab some food in a bit?”

“Nah, gotta keep myself sharp for the games.”

“Gotcha, we won’t be doing anymore testing until after these upcoming games anyways, I can’t let ya think ya going to have an easy win,” Lifeline folded arms over her chest and popped out a hip.

“You wish,” Wraith smirked as she headed for the door.

Brief farewells were exchanged leaving Lifeline and Bangalore alone in the room. There was a definite hint of tension in the air, but not the usual angry tension.

“Want to go grab a bite some where quiet?” Lifeline spoke first.

“Sure,” Bangalore shrugged, not entirely looking her in the face.

“I know a good place, and I promise it won’t be filled with frontier corps.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

It was awkward with just the two of them, yet at the same time she was excited for the opportunity for the two of them to spend some time together in a neutral setting. It wasn’t a date, she repeated that to herself many times, they were just two legends out sharing a meal. While Bangalore was looking over the menu of the small family restaurant, Lifeline felt her communication device vibrate. It was incredibly tempting to open it up and see what it was, but Lifeline decided not to. She wasn’t going to let anything distract her from her dinner, not date, with Bangalore.

Getting a conversation to stick was hard at first. Bangalore was still tense and was frequently checking all of the doors in the restaurant. It was a defensive technique that Lifeline was familiar with, no doubt something that had been drilled into Bangalore’s mind in her years at the IMC. However, once their food arrived and they started working through their first drink, Bangalore relaxed a little. They traded experiences with new games participants and frustrations they had with the Apex Games managers. By the time the second drink had been downed, Bangalore was actually telling Lifeline a story from one of her IMC missions. A few names were listed off and small things were told about Bangalore’s former squadmates. Lifeline listened and reacted along with the story, loving every moment she got to see this happier and more animated side of Bangalore. When Bangalore finished her story, Lifeline told one of her own from a rescue mission she had done up in the mountains. How they had followed distress calls from a downed aircraft and all of the mishaps and dangers they ran into along the way.

“That is something I admire about you,” Bangalore said after Lifeline finished her story; a hand bringing up the remains of her second drink to her lips.

Lifeline didn’t believe her ears at first. She stared at Bangalore, trying to hide her bewilderment and waiting for her to continue with baited breath.

“How far you go to help people and how little you ever take for yourself. Even with this whole antidote testing. I didn’t believe it when I first looked into you, but now that I’ve gotten to see it,” Bangalore shrugged, “maybe I was wrong.”

Dark brown eyes stared into light hazel ones and a half smile was shared.

“My parents profited from the war and I was raised up with a privileged life because of that. Guess it’s my way to try and make up for all the pain.”

“You’re not responsible for their choices. Your legacy is your own to create separate from theirs.”

Lifeline laughed as the topic was getting a little too personal. “Who would of thought an IMC soldier would be giving me advice about my parents crimes? What did they put in ya drink?”

Bangalore’s face turned serious. “There’s nothing off with this drink…” she grumbled as she examined the glass.

“I’m just teasing ya,” Lifeline playfully shoved Bangalore.

Bangalore rolled her eyes and shook her head. Despite her grumpy tone, there was a slight smile hiding on her lips.

With their meals finished and the fatigue settling in, they headed out.

“Thanks for joining me, Bangalore,” Lifeline said when they stepped out into the chilly night air.

“Thanks for the meal,” Bangalore paused for a moment, “and the company.”

“You’re welcome. See ya in the training complex?”

“Sure, I’ll be there to kick your ass if you ever want a rematch in the sparring ring.”

Lifeline couldn’t help but laugh. “Good night ‘Nita.”

As soon as that nickname automatically slipped past her lips, Lifeline internally cursed. That was the perfect thing to completely ruin the night they just had together. She braced herself for Bangalore’s mood to do a flip.

“Goodnight Ajay,” Bangalore simply waved as she began to walk away.

Her mouth dropped open in shock. It took a full moment for her mind to process the pleasant surprise. A wide smile broke out on Lifeline’s face. She pivoted on her feet and began to hum as she headed back to her lab.

Several minutes later when she arrived at her lab, her good spirits still hadn’t worn off. As she got ready for bed, her communication device was pulled out and casually tossed on her futon. Out of the corner of Lifeline’s eye she caught the blinking notification light. That was right, someone has sent her a message. Lifeline picked up the device and tapped on the notification.

Two messages from Wraith and one of them was an image. Apprehension bubbled up in her stomach as she opened the messaging application. The image was first. Lifeline sucked in a breath of air as soon as she saw it. The picture was of the both of them, sitting on the lab floor with Lifeline in Bangalore’s arms. Hazel eyes stared at it for several seconds before Lifeline zoomed in on Bangalore’s visible face as her own face was tucked into Bangalore’s shoulder. Not only was it obvious that the two were holding onto each other tightly, but Bangalore had the side of her head pressed against Lifeline’s and it looked like she was whispering into her ear. The serious expression on Bangalore’s face could have been misinterpreted by anyone who didn’t know Bangalore that well. However, to her it was as clear as a bright sunny day how concerned Bangalore was at that moment. If must have been when she was still calming down from the hallucinations. A finger hit the save option without a second of hesitation. Round lips turned up into a soft smile as she stared at the full picture again. Lifeline then scrolled down to the message underneath. Hazel eyes went wide.

Wraith – You sure you’re just friends?

Rage instantly boiled up inside of her.

“How dare SHE!? I didn’t take that picture of her!” Lifeline burst out.

Lifeline wanted to give Wraith an earful for the low blow, but the message was a few hours old and the voidwalker was most likely asleep by now. The communication device was tossed back onto her futon and Lifeline stormed off. She would pay Wraith back for that tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this more fun chapter.
> 
> I was very excited to hear that Bangalore refers to herself as 'Nita when you go solo with her in the first Season 5 Loba Quest! :D :D


	25. Landing Hot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of your patience for this update, I hope it's worth it!

Landing hot wasn’t always a smart decision, it was a risky one, but with the right team it had a huge payoff. Bloodhound was one of those that helped to make a good team, however the third member of their squad and the person who had decided to land hot wasn’t.

Lifeline grumbled as she shoved the banner of her downed teammate into her backpack. Gunshots were ringing out everywhere as the five or so teams were battling it out in the compact series of buildings and dry leviathan bones. A quick glance at her magazine told her she had only ten shots left with her AR-45, the only gun she had been able to grab amidst the chaos.

“Shots fired at me!” Bloodhound’s strained voice came in through the intercom.

“Shit,” Lifeline whispered as she began to sprint in the direction of her teammate. “Right behind ya!”

Eyes scanned the area she ran through, trying to find any ammunition or replacement body armor. Her armor had already been destroyed and she had taken a few bullets as a result. She could wait and patch up with her D.O.C., but then it could delay her helping Bloodhound. While she was confident in Bloodhound’s abilities to take out almost anyone they came across, if they were outnumbered Lifeline risked losing them too. They were only a couple of small buildings away, she would make it in time and then the D.O.C. could heal them both up.

“The fight is not even, multiple squads attack!”

Lifeline cursed and slid across the dirt.

“I am down but alive,” came the labored words a moment later.

Her gut sank. This wasn’t good.

“Coming ya way, keep ya head down!” Lifeline responded.

She approached the partially opened door to examine the situation. Bloodhound was somewhere in the room, temporarily forgotten. Bullets were flying everywhere. Lifeline took a deep breath and slipped into the room. Half of her clip was plugged through one person’s head and the last of her bullets finished off another. Shotgun pellets cut through her hip and side. With a ferocious cry Lifeline leaped at the other fighter in the room. As luck had it they needed to reload, otherwise she would have been toast, very holy toast. Hands grabbed the hot barrel and wrenched it out of the person’s hands, teeth grinding together at the pain of her palms getting seared. One whack with butt of the peacekeeper sent them down. However, instead of wasting the precious ammunition on finishing them off, Lifeline tossed out her D.O.C. and pinned them to the ground.

“They don’t just call me Lifeline because I save a life,” she couldn’t help but smile as she stabbed one of her drone’s cables into their abdomen.

A wink over her shoulder was all the D.O.C. needed to know what to do. The opponent didn’t even get a chance to speak before agonizing cries were forced past their lips as the drone electrocuted them.

With yet another body encased in a death box, Lifeline rushed over to where Bloodhound had hidden themselves in a corner. A concerning amount of blood had already pooled on the floor underneath them.

“Hang on there, I got ya,” Lifeline said as she pulled out a syringe.

Bloodhound hit the sonar device on their wrist and promptly shook their head. “There is no time, multiple enemies approach.”

A string of curses was let out as she shoved the few shotgun shells she had into the peacekeeper. The approaching footsteps couldn’t be more than a dozen yards away. So this is how it was going to be huh? Fine, everyone needed a solid reminder to not fuck with Ajay Che.

The first person who barged through the door got a face full of shotgun pellets to the face. Lifeline didn’t even feel the heavy rounds cutting through her torso. The second got the same treatment followed with another to send them packing in a death box. On the third her aim faltered a little as she jumped around trying to avoid the rapid spray of bullets coming from the opponent’s R-99. Three shots to finish them and she was left with an empty gun and no time to loot before the next squad was barging through their doors. It was fists, boots, and shotgun butts to the face now as Lifeline struck out at her attackers. One more fell. Her wrist device vibrated letting her know that Bloodhound had bled out and would need to be respawned.

Red painted what was left of her vision. Red flew from her mouth as she coughed. Red coated her fists and clothing. Red gathered beneath her. Red dripped from her tired limbs and heavy body. Red was all she could hear. Red filled her nose. Red coated her tongue.

Eventually red gave way to black as she fell to the ground. Black slowly encased her as the death box formed around her.

“Barely an hour,” Lifeline grumbled as she sat there on the medical examination table dressed in the typical gown. She glared at the empty table next to her. “They didn’t even bother to hang around afterward and face the consequences of their decision.”

“It is hard to know exactly what inspired such a choice,” Bloodhound said. “I was prepared for my end so it did not matter where we landed.”

Lifeline looked up at the screen displaying the victory footage of the Apex Games. Gibraltar, Wattson, and Octane had landed themselves with the win this time. It had been over in a record amount of time; the games hadn’t even lasted a whole day. Everyone had been out for blood this time as evidenced by the bloodbath in the beginning and the one at the end. Sometimes things were like that. Either no one was fighting or everyone was fighting. Lifeline couldn’t be too upset with her results. Ten kills with the kill leader bonus made for a nice chunk of money. However, it didn’t completely get rid of the sour taste in her mouth from the 12th place squad ranking.

The doors to the recovery center opened up as the last of the death boxes were carted in and laid out. Lifeline watched each one, looking for a specific tan tunic and head of black curls. A sigh of relief was let out when Bangalore’s still, bloodied body was uncovered. Doctors went right to work removing bullets and pumping her body with the healing solution. Evidently the professional soldier had done well this round. Bangalore’s squad had taken third place and she had five new KIA’s to add to her resume.

Lifeline redirected her attention to Bloodhound who was still sitting there with her despite being cleared to leave.

“I’m all good Bloodhound, ya don’t need to stay if ya want to go get ready for the ceremony.”

They glanced over their shoulder. Lifeline followed their line of sight towards a certain holo-pilot that was being revived.

“I have multiple reasons to stay, as do you,” they stated.

Lifeline pulled back, not quite sure what to make of that. “Wh-what?”

Bloodhound looked over at Bangalore. “It’s no secret that out of all the legends you are the one closest to her. It is natural to want to watch over your fellow félagi fighter.”

No response could be formulated to rebuttal that truth. Light hazel eyes glanced at Bloodhound as they checked on Mirage. There were more interconnecting ties between legends than she ever thought there would be. For a blood sport where the top competitors were supposed to be at each other’s throats, they were far more inclined to have each other’s backs.

Casual conversation helped to pass the time as they discretely checked on the progress of their fellow legends. Lifeline wanted to make sure that Bangalore wasn’t being neglected. After an hour she was sitting up and conversing with the doctors. Mirage seemed to be making good progress as well.

Much to Lifeline’s surprise, Bangalore’s teammates took the time to talk with her and congratulate each other on the game well done before leaving to get ready for the ceremony. Perhaps people were finally warming up to her. That made a small smile form on Lifeline’s lips. Lifeline watched as the doctors finished talking with Bangalore and then walked away. Dark brown eyes met light hazel ones. Lifeline immediately focused on a small ball of lint on her gown; fingers picked at it and others. Round cheeks burned and she became very aware of how hungry she was. Hands dug around under her examination table for her bag of food. She teetered farther and farther over the edge of her table, trying to reach that elusive package. Bloodhound hopped down from their table and grabbed both of theirs.

“Thanks,” Lifeline said as she took the brown bag.

Bloodhound simply nodded and began to look through theirs.

“Hey,” that familiar husky voice came from the side.

Lifeline’s head jerked in the direction of Bangalore’s voice.

“Just um,” Bangalore scratched the back of her neck with her open hand, “just wanted to say congratulations Kill Leader.”

Cheeks darkened as Lifeline nervously laughed. “Why thank ya, got to show them that I don’t go down without a fight.”

Bangalore chuckled. “Yeah, I know.”

She stood there awkwardly for a moment, holding her brown bag.

“I should-” Bangalore began, motioning with her thumb over her shoulder.

“Why don’t ya join us? We are about to have our-” Lifeline quickly rummaged through her bag, “pudding!” She finished as she pulled out the semi-solid treat. White packaging and contents made her expression fall. Vanilla. Her least favorite.

“Uh, sure,” came the hesitant reply.

Lifeline scooted over and patted the spot next to her. “Park ya self right here.”

Bangalore muttered a low thanks and took the seat, her cheeks a slight shade darker. Bloodhound lifted a few items out of their bag.

“Want to trade?” Bangalore held out her chocolate pudding cup to Lifeline.

It was incredibly tempting to accept the offer, but she wanted Bangalore to enjoy her chocolate.

“Ya keep it, ya deserve it, top three,” Lifeline smiled as she peeled back the cover of her pudding cup.

Round lips fell into a slight frown. Damn Bangalore for making such an adorable face. She just wanted to press her lips against hers and kiss it right side up. Light hazel eyes went wide at the sudden, but not unfamiliar, thought and internally shook her head to quickly dispel it.

“-out half here and voilà! We get half of each.”

Lifeline glanced down at what Bangalore was holding out to her, utterly clueless as to what had transpired while she had been lost in her fantasy. On the lid of Bangalore’s pudding cup was a large scoop of the chocolate semi-solid. They stared at each other for a long moment, an awkward silence filling the space between them.

“I trade half of mine for half of yours,” Bangalore restated.

“Oh…Oh!” Lifeline’s face brightened up as everything clicked into place. “Ya sure? That chocolate pudding cup is rare.”

“I am.”

“Well if ya twist my arm,” Lifeline joked as she did the same with her vanilla pudding in an attempt to lighten up the tension.

Bangalore simply accepted the scoop of vanilla pudding with a low chuckle. Without even thinking Lifeline dropped the chocolate pudding into her vanilla cup and began to mix them together.

“Not a bad idea,” Bangalore commented as she did the same.

Cheeks darkened from the small compliment. Did Bangalore hit her head hard in the match or something? While the shift in attitude towards her was more than appreciated it was a little odd. Out of the corner of Lifeline’s eye she watched as Bangalore lifted and put a spoonful of the semi-solid in her mouth. Thoughts began to derail again towards ideas of what it might be like to feel those lips against hers.

“What kind of pudding did you get Bloodhound?” Lifeline desperately shoved her attention elsewhere.

“Butterscotch,” they stated as they lifted up the golden cup. “A flavor I do not care for.”

“What?!” Lifeline couldn’t believe her ears. “Ya got the super rare one and ya don’t like it?”

Bloodhound shrugged. “I do not know what I should do with it.”

“Give it to someone,” Bangalore spoke up. “I know Gibraltar is fond of that flavor.”

They looked over their shoulder; then silently stood up and walked away. One moment later Mirage’s voice was heard exclaiming,

“The legendary pudding for me?! Th-that’s, that’s ex-extrava, that’s wonderful!”

Lifeline couldn’t help the smile that formed on her lips.

Wraith’s invitations to join Wattson and her in their workouts were answered this time. It was a good opportunity to push herself with some friendly competition and get out of the lab more. Bangalore wasn’t always to be found in the weightlifting room at the same time as them, but whenever she was Lifeline discretely enjoyed the beautiful sight. Striking up a random conversation with Bangalore was still something Lifeline struggled to do. A few short messages were sent back and forth, but really nothing deeper than one or two word answers. In the end they didn’t have a legitimate conversation until they were meeting for the third test of the antidote.

Those were never easy days. They always left her feeling drained physically, mentally, and emotionally. Great improvements had been made to the antidote, however Lifeline wasn’t sure she wanted to keep pushing for a better one that only would have minimal improvements. Regardless the decision was being made for her as she looked at what remained of her sample of Caustic’s gas. There was barely enough for one singular test and there was no way in the universe she was going to trade with Caustic for more.

Wraith had left as soon as she had been cleared by Bangalore, off to train or most likely to meet up with Wattson. Lifeline suspected the hallucinations affected the voidwalker more than she let on and like Bangalore, Wattson was the one Wraith went to for comfort. Light hazel eyes drifted over to where Bangalore was writing out the last details of her report. There was a noticeable tension in the room and there was no doubt in Lifeline’s mind it had to do with the fact that she had woken up in Bangalore’s arms again. Those concerned dark brown eyes that had looked down at her then had been avoiding her ever since. Lifeline absentmindedly rubbed the top of her D.O.C as the minutes continued to roll by. Bangalore eventually stood up, walked over, and handed over her report. Light hazel eyes tried to make eye contact, but it was avoided. The report was set to the side. Normally they would go out to eat or something now.

“Look, holding you was to just help you get through the test,” Bangalore suddenly spoke up. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

That was a lie and that angered Lifeline.

“Both times?” she clarified.

“Yes,” Bangalore looked away as she folded her arms across her chest. “Like you said, humans need physical contact, and you respond to it very well.”

It’s because it was Bangalore holding her, not just anyone.

“I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea,” Bangalore attempted to end the conversation.

That hurt. Lifeline was far too tired to peacefully deal with this.

“The wrong idea about what? Ya coming over after the games to share a pudding cup was just ya brown nosing the kill leader so maybe I don’t put a bullet through ya head the next time we meet in the canyon?” Lifeline snapped.

“That’s not-”

“Or us working on this together? Or us enjoying an evening out together and talking for hours? Did ya do it all with some ulterior motive?”

“I wasn’t referring to that,” Bangalore pushed back, “I was just referring to me holding you, I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea about that.”

Once again there was that refusal to look her in the eye as she said it. The corner of Lifeline’s eyes burned. Why was she working so hard to deny how kind and caring she had been to her? That it all was just a tool with no genuine feelings behind it. Why did she even bother coming over to eat with her after the games? Why did they meet up yet again on the balcony at the awards ceremony to trade stories and jokes? If it all meant nothing, why were they doing this? Why did it hurt so bad to hear those words from her mouth?

“What does it take for ya to be real with me? A couple of drinks?”

Bangalore was silent this time.

Lifeline stood up and took a step closer to her. “I don’t need a couple of drinks to admit how I feel about ya.”

Another step was taken. Bangalore didn’t make an attempt to back away.

“I like ya ‘Nita.”

Dark brown eyes went wide.

“Like as friends?” Bangalore attempted to deflect.

Lifeline wasn’t going to have it. A swift step was taken and hands grabbed the sides of Bangalore’s face. Lips were mashed together as Lifeline kissed her. Bangalore froze, a short breath of shock pulled in through her nose. Lifeline closed her eyes and enjoyed the contact for a moment longer before planning on pulling away. However, that changed when she felt Bangalore push into the kiss ever so slightly. Lips clumsily moved together at first. It was such a surreal experience. Lifeline had wanted this for so long, and finally here she was. Mouths opened allowing for Lifeline to deepen the kiss. Fingers ran over buzzed cut sides. A low moan rumbled from the back of Bangalore’s throat. Such a beautiful sound. Hands pulled Bangalore closer as Lifeline pushed against her body, wanting to remove as much of the space between them as possible. Soft pressure could be felt on her back as Bangalore’s hands were tentatively rested there. They pulled apart for a second to catch their breath.

“Ajay I-”

Lifeline pressed their lips back together. She didn’t want to hear any of her words, she just wanted this amazing sensation to continue. Hands shifted to her shoulders and Bangalore tried to say her name again, but it was captured by her lips. Bangalore turned her face away and pushed back firmly with her hands, breaking the kiss.

“I-I-” she stuttered.

Lifeline forced herself to stop and listen despite every part of her wanting to keep going. Bangalore’s eyes were dilated and wide, her chest rising and falling rapidly with her heavy breaths. However, Lifeline felt her gut sink at the panic and confusion written all over Bangalore’s face.

“I-I need time.”

Lifeline let go of her and stepped back, a sour taste filling her mouth. Bangalore had been trying to communicate that, but she had selfishly pushed on.

“I-I’m sorry,” Lifeline got out.

Bangalore opened and closed her mouth, only to turn and bolt for the door.

“Fuck…” a hand was placed over her burning lips.

“Sergeant First Class Anita Williams has left the lab,” Penelope spoke up.

Lifeline fell to her knees, one hand still covering her mouth while the other was tightly wrapped around her stomach.

Shit…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh snap....wonder how Anita is going to react to this development.


	26. Weightlifting Ruminations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated "A" for Angst, lol.

Pressure was firmly applied to the wrench, working to finally loosen the nut. Lifeline huffed as she continued to manually unscrew the fastener. Two more to go and she could remove the casing and disassemble what was inside. Bolts, nuts, washers, metal pieces, plastic pieces, wiring, transformers, capacitors, and more were spread out all around her. It hadn’t worked for years so she was scrapping it for parts, it had nothing to do with the fact that she needed something to keep her mind and hands busy. Nothing at all. It’s not like there was someone she needed to talk to. That someone wasn’t messaging her anyways, so what was the point? Off to her side her D.O.C. hovered, curiously watching her. Having spare parts for her D.O.C. and other devices was always a smart idea. Lifeline gritted her teeth and pushed harder on the next nut. This one wasn’t budging easily.

“I just need better leverage,” she muttered as she shifted the electronic device and pushed on the wrench with both arms.

Finally, it gave that quarter turn jump. The rest would be easy as pie. In moments the nut was removed and set with those that had the same thread type. Memories of her lips against Bangalore’s and them making out pushed to the forefront of her mind. Of course. Lifeline tried to focus on the next thing she could disassemble. Of course Bangalore had kissed back, that woman was starved for affection. She didn’t have the chance or the ability to fight it at first, her body just caved. And she had taken advantage of that when Bangalore was clearly trying to end the kiss sooner. Light hazel eyes blinked rapidly. Fuck not again. No more. No more. She was tired, so tired. With a frustrated cry Lifeline threw the wrench. The metal clanged around the room as salty tears ran down her cheeks. Concerned beeps were emitted from her D.O.C. as it snuggled up to her. Arms wrapped around it and held it close. Soft sobs echoed in the large lab, no matter how hard Lifeline tried to suppress them, they still slipped out.

Three days.

Three days since that moment and she hadn’t heard a peep from Bangalore. She had sent a message or two asking if they could talk but to no avail. It should have been a simple peck on the lips, she shouldn’t have held it there for a moment. That would have given Bangalore the message and given her the time to react. Lifeline rubbed her forehead against her drone and sighed heavily.

Gloved fists struck the sand filled synthetic bag over and over. The punching bag swung back and forth, the stainless-steel chain rattling as it rolled around in the metal loop securing it to the ceiling. Another punch was delivered, then a sweaty elbow strike came next. A few more hits later and the bag was swinging around far too much to effectively practice on. Hands grabbed the sides and steadied it. Bangalore breathed out heavily. Sweat rolled down every inch of her exposed skin and ran into her already soaked athletic clothes. How long had she been here? She didn’t remember. Bangalore reached for her water bottle only to find it was empty. Water, she needed water. Feet stumbled towards the drinking fountain. The bottle was placed in the bottle filling station and the cool liquid began to fill it up. After it was only halfway filled Bangalore couldn’t wait anymore and pulled it away to drink. It felt wonderful, but her body was demanding more nutrition, something to replace all of the salts she had lost. When had she last ate? A quick search through her duffle bag yielded a singular nutrition bar. It reminded her of something but her exhaustion fogged mind couldn’t place a finger on it.

Bangalore sat down on one of the benches in the locker room chewing on the bar and wiping off her sweaty face with her towel. She should take a shower after this and go get some real food. Lips were pulled to the side, she should just go home and cook, if someone wanted to start a fight she would be too tired to deal with it. Attacks had finally become few and far between, but there were still those out there that wanted to start shit. Several factors contributed to the reduction in fights. First, her reputation and increased popularity in the games. Second, her unbroken winning streak in these brawls. And third, other legends stepping in on her behalf, most notably Lifeline. Bangalore paused mid-chew.

Lifeline…

Shit.

Hands rubbed her face as those memories jumped to the center of the stage. Lips against hers, fingers playing with her hair, warmth enveloping her body, her heart racing in her chest. A low grumble was let out as Bangalore tried to force the memory to the side. It was hard to. The messages from Lifeline the next day had been read, but no attempt had been made to respond to them. Quite frankly, Bangalore had no idea what to do. She was as conflicted as she was confused. Initially it felt like it had come of out nowhere. With some reflection, it was obvious Lifeline was a little sweet towards her. The largest indicators of this was during the second and third tests. Aside from Lifeline calling out for her while she was in the middle of her hallucinations, when Bangalore had released Lifeline from her chair, the distraught woman had immediately latched onto at her. Arms held her tightly and her face was pressed into the crook of her neck as she cried out the last of her tears. Bangalore had no choice but to hold Lifeline back until she calmed down and fell asleep. Thankfully in both instances, Bangalore had released Wraith from her chair first as doing so after Lifeline would have been impossible. With Lifeline asleep in her arms, Bangalore hadn’t known what to do other than wait until the woman woke up. Afterall, she did want to make sure the medic was okay. Or maybe she too liked to hold Lifeline and found comfort in being close to her.

Bangalore shook her head. No. That couldn’t be it.

Why not?

How could she? They had been at such odds for a long time that the idea of them getting along in that sense had never occurred to Bangalore. A relationship? An intimate relationship?! It had been so long since Bangalore had shared any level of physical intimacy with anyone. That had to be it, no way in her right might would she want to kiss Lifeline, right?

Right…?

The remainder of the nutrition bar was thrown into the trash as Bangalore stood up on shaky legs and headed for her locker. She finally remembered why the nutrition bar had stood out to her. It was made by the company that also made the dense nutrition squares used by rescue personnel. The same one Lifeline had fed to her in the middle of her capture and interrogation.

Bangalore swiped to her messages on her communication device before heading out of the gym. She read over the ones from Lifeline yet again. They really did need to talk, but Bangalore still needed some time to figure everything out.

The G7 scout was set back into its rack. Shooting a few rounds was always a good way to transition to the next part of her training regime. Start out with a number of matches in the sparring ring, then practice with three different guns while those minor injuries still stung, then finish it out with some weightlifting and cardio. Bangalore made her way to the locker room and changed into her athletic clothes. Dark brown eyes scanned the floor. A moderately full weightlifting room, and luckily her favorite spot was open. Bangalore grabbed a couple of kettlebells and headed over. Some swings and goblet squats to warm up.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a few of the other legends; Gibraltar and Pathfinder had almost all of the plates gathered around the squat rack they were on while Wraith and Wattson were doing some interval training with dumbbells. A frown tugged at the corner of Bangalore’s mouth as she laid down. She grabbed one of the kettlebells, held it over her face with her arm locked, and began to carefully stand up.

“You’re disappointed she’s not there.”

Bangalore’s eyes darted to the side, only to see herself leaning against the pull-up rig nearby. She paused at the top of her Turkish get up and stared, not fully comprehending what she was looking at. The hallucination, or whatever it was, wore the exact same outfit as her and had a very confident air about her. The other Bangalore motioned her head towards the mirrors that covered the walls.

“We both know how often you would check out her reflection in the mirrors.”

Bangalore carefully returned to the ground, still keeping the kettlebell high in her locked arm.

“I don’t know who you are talking about,” she tried.

“Don’t give me that,” the other Bangalore rolled her eyes. “Wide hips dropping low, strong legs and ass pushing back up, while her toned shoulders and abdomen carry the loaded barbell? Sweat glistening off of all that exposed skin-”

“That’s enough!” Bangalore snapped at herself.

The other Bangalore simply smirked and watched as Bangalore stood up again with the kettlebell.

“You can’t deny that you’re attracted to her. Always have been.”

“Fuck off.”

Bangalore stepped down and laid on the ground before switching the kettlebell to the other arm. Dark brown eyes closed for a moment.

“We both know you’ve wondered what she would look like with less on.”

It felt like it had been said right in her ear, sending chills down her spine. Several images of Lifeline working out popped into Bangalore’s head. A deep breath was pulled in and let out as Bangalore refocused on the exercise.

She strategically stood up again. “I admire her strength.”

For a moment the other Bangalore said nothing, the sly grin never leaving her face.

“Keep telling yourself that.”

Bangalore kept her attention forward, watching her own form in the mirror. Several reps later when chanced a glance to the side again, that hallucination, had vanished without another word. A sigh of relief was let out. Now she could focus on her work out and forget about all the ridiculous notions that had been brought up. Yes Lifeline was attractive, there was no shortage of people who thought that, so her thinking so didn’t matter. And since that had been decided, there was no need to keep on thinking about it. Or so she attempted to do. Despite how hard she pushed through her workout, there was always a faint thought about Lifeline lingering in the back of her mind.

Two hours later Bangalore slowly made her way towards the line of sinks in the locker room. Warm water gushed out of the automatic faucet to wash away the initial grit on her hands before soap was scrubbed all over. Bangalore looked up at the mirror in front of her as the water washed away the soap bubbles. A badly bruised, cut, and bloodied face stared right back at her.

“What the fuck?” Bangalore pulled back.

She didn’t remember getting hit that many times in the face today, how… Bangalore leaned back in, reaching up to touch the injuries she saw in the mirror only to not feel them. That was when she noticed that her reflection wasn’t wearing the same outfit as her. Gone were the athletic fibers, in its place was her old IMC gear. The suit she had been wearing when she had crash landed on this planet. It too was torn and covered in blood.

“Have you forgotten?” Her reflection growled out through the blood dripping down her face. “What she did to you?!”

Hands shot out from the mirror and seized the front of her shirt. Bangalore braced against the sink, trying to pull away from the iron grip.

“You get close to her and you know exactly what she will do to you.”

“Th-that was a completely different circumstance! I would never get-”

Her reflection pulled her closer so their faces were mere centimeters apart. Livid eyes bored right into hers. “She did it once, she’ll do it again. The only question is are you going to play right into her trap? Are you that weak and foolish to-”

“I am not!”

Bangalore swiftly broke the hold on her shirt and shoved her reflection back into the mirror. For a moment she stood there looking down into the sink with her hands braced against the mirror. Her heart was racing in her chest. After a steadying breath she looked up. Nothing strange, just her own post work-out exhausted face in the mirror. No blood. No injuries. Bangalore stood up and shook her head. What was even going on today? She needed to get home and get some rest.

Thankfully she didn’t run into any more versions of herself before she left the training complex and got on the hover tram. Maybe the stress of the whole situation was starting to get to her. Bangalore sighed and leaned back in her seat. When she saw Lifeline sitting next to her jamming to the music playing on her headphones, Bangalore only jumped a little. It was another hallucination, one that was pulled from a memory.

“Give it a listen,” Lifeline smiled as she took off her headphones and inverted the muffs so one could be held against her ear while Bangalore held the other against hers.

Bangalore didn’t remember the music that had played, but she remembered wanting to ask Lifeline for some recommendations. She never did ask because she was embarrassed by the notion of her asking for such a silly thing. Bangalore stared at Lifeline, watching her bounce her head to the rhythm and beat a set of invisible drums. A soft smile formed on round lips. For the moment Bangalore let herself jam with the memory.

Booted feet walked through the busy street while eyes were constantly looking around. Maybe she could grab something to eat today for dinner? She really didn’t have the energy to cook tonight. A small restaurant and bar across the street caught her attention. Tantalizing smells drifted from there. Bangalore stood there, her mind wandering. As people walked by periodically breaking her line of sight with the restaurant, she could have sworn she saw herself and Lifeline sitting there eating together. It would be nice wouldn’t it? Sharing a meal, laughing at jokes, and telling each other about their days. It had been nice those couple of times they had.

The snap of electricity arching through the air startled Bangalore. She whirled around to see a welder working to make some repairs to a building near her. Wide, dark brown eyes stared at the welding gun. Bright sparks jumped as the welder continued their work. That sound. Bangalore turned away and tried to steady her breathing.

Limbs convulsing as the electricity raced through her body. Pain. Agonized cries. Blurred vision. When it paused for a moment, there was that gloved hand stroking the side of her clammy face.

_“C’mon ‘Nita, just two little answers. Are they really worth all ya suffering?”_

Electricity snapped through the air again. Bangalore put her hands over her ears. She tried to focus on the restaurant in an attempt to pull herself from those memories. However, Lifeline’s warm smile was replaced with a cruel one. The scent of savory food turned into the repugnant smell of charred flesh. No. No. Bangalore tried to focus, tried to escape. Lifeline’s face began to oscillate back and forth between the two versions. One sadistically pushing her towards the brink of death, while the other reached out welcoming her closer. It was all too much.

Bangalore tore her feet from where they had been rooted into the ground and began to sprint towards her home. Streets and surroundings rushed by. She wasn’t going to stop, not until she was safe. Waiting on traffic signals was not an option. Bangalore altered her route and dashed across streets. If she stopped those sounds and sights might catch up to her. After what felt like forever, her apartment came into view. In one movement it was unlocked and in the next she was already inside slamming the door shut. Blessed silence surrounded her. Bangalore let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the door as she caught her breath. Finally, she was safe. Bangalore pushed off from the door and turned around only to come face to face with Lifeline.

She didn’t even flinch, it was just another hallucination. Lifeline had no idea where she lived. Bangalore pinched the bridge of her nose. She was so tired of this.

“What?”

Lifeline simply regarded her with a solemn face, concerned light hazel eyes staring into her own.

“Why are you here?” Bangalore threw her hands out wide.

Lifeline slowly walked forward and reached out towards Bangalore’s face. Bangalore didn’t have the energy to resist. Gentle hands held the sides of her face and tilted it down, bringing their faces closer together. Foreheads were rested against each other. Bangalore closed her eyes as fingers began to play with the buzzed sides of her head. For the moment she let herself enjoy the soft touch. A round nose brushed against hers. She could feel Lifeline’s breath on her lips.

“Why do you make me feel like this?” came the hoarse whisper.

No response.

Bangalore stood to her full height and looked down at Lifeline. Hands fell away from the sides of her face. Part of her cried out at loosing that warmth and comfort, but she squashed it down.

“Go away.”

Lifeline took a half step back, hurt reflected in her eyes.

“Go away!” Bangalore shouted as she swiped her hand through the air. “Leave me alone!”

The hallucination faded away like wisps of smoke disturbed by wind from her hand. Tears burned in the corners of Bangalore’s eyes. Knees hit the floor as Bangalore dropped down, holding herself tightly. Any sobs that threatened to escape were stubbornly muffled.

“I don’t want to be alone.” She choked out.


	27. A Chance

One week, still nothing. At this point Lifeline wasn’t sure what to do anymore. Should she attempt to reach out or would that only make matters worse? Maybe Bangalore wasn’t going to speak to her ever again. A finger idly rolled a steel ball bearing back and forth on the table. Eyebrows were furrowed together. If Bangalore was going to never speak to her again, she at least should have the decency to tell her.

“It doesn’t amplify the effects, right? Get it?” a gleeful chuckle broke through Lifeline’s thoughts.

Light hazel eyes trailed to the side where Wattson and Wraith were sitting at the long table. Evidently there had been some malfunction with Wraith’s void walking technology that was making it hurt her more than normal. Why they both were in her lab to take care of the problem was beyond her; Wattson’s work place or even Wraith’s should have been more than adequate. Lifeline had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with the fact that she had declined too many of their invitations to go work out. Not that Lifeline hadn’t been training, quite the contrary, she had just been making sure to go during times she knew Bangalore wouldn’t be there. It would be too great of a temptation to walk up and try to talk to Bangalore instead giving her the time she needed. Lifeline didn’t want to make things worse by doing that. She couldn’t wait forever though.

Wraith and Wattson kept on trying to awkwardly bring Lifeline into the conversation every couple of minutes or so. There were tools and spare parts laid out, but if Lifeline was being honest, it didn’t really seem like they were making any adjustments to Wraith’s device. The most they had done was remove the inside casing and take a couple of nodes off.

“What’s going on?” Wraith’s even voice was directed at Lifeline.

The medic focused on the ball bearing. “What ya asking about?”

“You seem down.”

Very direct, very Wraith.

“Can’t always have a good day, that’s just life,” Lifeline shrugged off.

“This seems different.”

Wattson added to Wraith’s concern, but Lifeline didn’t hear what she said at all as her attention had been jerked to the side. A notification had popped up on her screen and she had caught a glimpse who might have sent her the message. Hands dashed for her communication device, not believing her eyes for a second. It took far too many seconds to open the message.

Bangalore – Hey.

Bangalore – Are you at your lab? We need to talk.

Lifeline read it and reread it at least five times before it sunk in that it really was from Bangalore. Should she respond right away? Should she wait a couple of minutes? She didn’t want to seem like she had been waiting for a response when in fact she had been. Fuck it. It had been a week, she wasn’t going to miss this window of opportunity.

Lifeline – I am.

Should she say more? Lifeline reminded herself to breathe. Another message popped up an instant later answering that question for her.

Bangalore – Would you be available in an hour?

Lifeline – Yeah, don’t got any patients right now.

Keep it casual, don’t sound too eager or distant.

Bangalore – Alright.

There was no need to respond to that despite how much Lifeline felt like she should. The communication device was locked and set down on the table. One hour. A deep breath was pulled in and slowly let out. She could make it. Light hazel eyes rotated to the side to look at the two who were watching her.

“What?” Lifeline said.

“You would never guess what was causing the issue all along!” Wattson smiled widely.

Wraith simply rolled her eyes.

“Sergeant First Class Anita Williams has entered the lab,” Penelope’s voice echoed in the large room.

Bangalore attempted to swallow the lump in her throat as she straightened her back and continued to walk forwards through the massive doors to Lifeline’s lab. Lifeline was reading something on a monitor of hers and only turned to face Bangalore’s direction after the doors had closed and she was a couple of meters away. Dark brown eyes met light hazel ones as arms were folded over chests. Bangalore could already feel the tension in the space between them. What kind of tension? That she wasn’t quite sure of. Memories of the last time she was here definitely popped up for a brief second before she shoved them to the back. Focus. There was no easy way to start this. Bangalore played around with the words in her mouth. All of her preparation wasn’t paying off.

“Ya wanted to talk?” Lifeline broke the silence. Her voice sounded so dull despite the attempt to have her usual cheerfully confident tone.

Why did it make her heart clench to hear Lifeline speaking like that?

Bangalore took one more deep breath. “I should hate you.”

Lifeline blinked and recoiled slightly.

Not the best way to start this, but Bangalore couldn’t change that now and had to press on.

“I should hate you, but I don’t. It’s so confusing. After everything you did to me, this,” she motioned to the space between them, “should be a ridiculous notion and not even be considered. I should hate you!” Bangalore’s heart was hammering in her ears. “But over these past few months I’ve gotten to know you so much better. So many more side of you better. I’ve seen and benefited from your kindness, I’ve worked well with you on multiple teams, official or not, and have enjoyed spending time with you, even if it took a couple of drinks for me to loosen up. I…I like being around you.” She had to pause to take a breath, that wasn’t an easy thing to say. “I’m scared, terrified of what this could be and what might happen.” Dark brown eyes stared into light hazel ones. “Am I fool for considering this?”

Lifeline remained silent, giving her the space to continue instead of offering what was going on behind her carefully masked expression.

“I…I am attracted to you, you are very beautiful,” cheeks began to heat up as Bangalore looked away, “and that…that kiss felt amazing I just…”

This was turning into a train wreck. Where was she even going with all of her words?

“I shouldn’t have kissed ya,” Lifeline shook her head. “At least not like that.”

Bangalore’s shoulders fell slightly. Lifeline regretted it. Maybe it would be best if they just added it to the list of mistakes between them and just moved on. Did Bangalore want to give up so quickly and leave so many unanswered questions?

No.

“Ajay,” Bangalore stated with a firm voice. Light hazel eyes looked right into hers. “Do you like me in a romantic way?”

“Yes,” Lifeline responded without a second of hesitation.

Bangalore took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. She hadn’t been prepared for Lifeline to say it so easily. Or quickly. Bangalore opened her mouth and closed it a couple of times while she tried to get her thoughts out.

“I don’t know how I should feel about you and what course of action I should take. One half of me wants to hold you close while the other half wants to shove you away. You’ve hurt me, but you’ve also become the best friend I have out here.”

A soft smile formed on Lifeline’s face. Bangalore couldn’t help the knot that formed in her throat because of it.

“Why don’t we help ya figure it out?”

An eyebrow was raised up.

“Meet ya at the firing range this Friday at five? We shoot a few rounds, then maybe grab a bite afterwards?”

“Like a date?”

“Yes. A simple one. Just a chance for us to spend some time together that doesn’t involve participating in a blood sport or medical experimentation.” Lifeline shifted her weight onto one leg and popped out a hip.

That confidence was back in her voice, Bangalore couldn’t help but notice how much she liked Lifeline’s voice.

“What do ya say?”

Bangalore swallowed. Here was her chance, Lifeline was going out on a limb and taking initiative. Words were rolled around on her tongue as Bangalore formulated her response.

“Which slots do you want me to reserve?”

A wide smile broke out on Lifeline’s face. “Ya pick, I’m sure ya got a favorite spot or something. Just tell me which one so I can reserve the one next to it.”

Bangalore couldn’t help but mirror the action with her own nervous smile. “Great. Well I should-” Bangalore pointed over her shoulder with her thumb, feet already walking backwards towards the doors, “I should get going, gotta make the reservation.”

“Ya can make the call here, if ya want.”

Bangalore was far too jittery to stay around any longer. The conversation had gone well, best to not stick around and ruin it.

“I should head back, it’s getting late. But I am excited for Friday. I’ll send you the details for everything later.”

“Alright,” Lifeline softly chuckled. “Ya take care now Anita. Safe journey home.”

“You too, Ajay.”

The breath Bangalore had been holding was finally let out once the lab doors closed behind her. Fingers were laced behind her head as she looked up at the ceiling. Fuck her heart was beating so fast! She did it though. She talked to Lifeline and walked out with a date. Bangalore paused mid-step.

She had a date.

With Ajay.

Fuck.

She hadn’t expected that to happen. She didn’t really know what would happen when they talked. Bangalore b-lined for the exit. When was the last time she had been on a date? A low groan was let out as Bangalore stepped into the dark night. This was going to go swimmingly…

Lifeline couldn’t help but watch the security cameras until Bangalore had left their line of sight. A goofy smile spread across her face as Bangalore’s boots disappeared from the screen.

“Yes!” Lifeline jumped up and exclaimed. “Woooo!”

Her D.O.C. that had been resting in its corner beeped curiously and zipped over to her, spinning a full 360 in the air with her as she spun on her feet. Ajay hugged her drone close and spun around again. It cheerfully beeped and waved its little feet up and down.

“I got a chance,” came the soft statement.

4:45pm

Bangalore sighed as she looked away from her watch and glanced around the front entrance to the firing range. This was the meeting spot and it was Friday. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, trying to not make accidental eye contact with any of the other people heading into the firing range. It was weird waiting for someone else. Normally she would already be in and one magazine down by now. Patience. Ajay was going to show up, she was early after all. Five was the meeting time, not the time they would start shooting. Bangalore sighed and looked over her outfit. Her usual games/training gear except she had made the effort to clean it up. Was it appropriate for their date? It wasn’t like she didn’t have other options, but this was her attire for training in. Bangalore shook her head. She was over thinking things. It was just a casual date and while they were at the range it was best that they kept things on the down low.

“Ay Bangalore!”

Dark brown eyes darted towards the familiar accented voice. Lifeline walked up to her dressed in her trademark outfit. Bangalore could help but feel a bit of relief at that fact.

“Need help finding the door to the firing range?”

Eyebrows furrowed for a second, not fully understanding Lifeline’s question at first. Right keep it casual. This was a surprise meeting, not a date.

“No, just waiting out here until my time slot is available.”

“Funny, must be a shooting day for the both of us.”

“Guess so,” Bangalore shrugged as she went for the door and held it open for Lifeline.

“How courteous, thank ya.” Lifeline smirked as she walked into the range.

Cheeks darkened slightly and Bangalore mumbled as she headed in after her. They both grabbed their first weapon and set up at their respective spots.

“Neighbors huh?” came the comment from the side. “I hope ya brought ya good shooting eye today, or I’ll make ya look like a private fresh out of basic.”

Bangalore smirked, a chuckle drifting past her round lips. “A bad shooting day for me is still leagues better than your best.”

“A challenge huh? Bring it.” Lifeline flashed a grin at her.

Hands loaded the R-99 and readied the weapon.

“Fewest bullets to take down the dummy wins.”

Legends engaging in small competitions while training was a common thing. Bangalore had done this a few times with Gibraltar, Bloodhound, and even Wraith. Those that walked by the two of them would just assume that was all it was. Bangalore and Lifeline went back and forth. One challenge would be made by Lifeline, then Bangalore would issue the next. Judging was tricky as the close shots that decided who won that round never reached an easy conclusion. After two hours and countless challenges, the two left the firing range.

“Ya owe me a drink now,” Lifeline sang as she skipped next to Bangalore.

“I don’t owe you jack, I beat you in the vast majority of those rounds.”

“Buuut, I still got ya in the alternator rounds so ya owe me a drink for that.”

A scoff was forced out. “Fine then you owe me for all the others.”

“Deal,” Lifeline agreed all too quickly. “Now follow me, I know a place that has some good shit.”

Ajay suddenly veered off to the right, heading towards the hover trams. Dark brown eyes rolled. She never did know what to expect from Ajay. However, Anita couldn’t help the small smile forming in the corner of her mouth as she followed.

One short hover tram trip and a complex weave through various alleyways later, they found themselves in line for a street vendor. Ajay swore that the food was good as she had been here a number of times. Leviathan and Flyer skewers with any number of cold beverages to choose from. Anita made good on what she “owed” Ajay and paid for her meal and drink. Much to her surprise, instead of picking one of the alcoholic ones, Ajay went for the lemon and line soda. With their food and drinks in hand, they set out to find a spot to chow down.

“How do you know of all these places to eat?” Anita asked between bites of her Flyer skewer, there was a small hint of satisfaction of eating the detested beast.

“Been here longer than ya, plus Silva likes to pass on places he’s found and enjoyed. I think he has a personal goal of trying out every eatery in the city.”

“Sounds like him.”

“Pretty sure the meat wasn’t obtained legally, but it sure tastes good.”

Anita choked on the food in her mouth. “Wh-what?”

“Not always easy for poor people to get things without dabbing in the shadows a little bit. He’s just trying to make a living. What’s the harm in that?”

Anita carefully chewed the rest of what was in her mouth before chasing it with a swig from her own sports drink. “Guess not,” she shrugged. “I wouldn’t have made it here had I not dabbled in the shadows.”

“Oh?” an eyebrow was lifted up.

Anita knew that look. That was the “do tell” look. One that she wasn’t going to indulge, especially not in public. She promptly shook her head.

“Not the time or place for that story.”

Ajay’s face fell at the rejection.

A slight twinge of guilt twisted in her chest. “But maybe another time, I dunno.”

“Don’t go making promises ya can’t keep,” came the playful warning.

“It wasn’t a promise. Just an idea.”

Ajay laughed. A beautiful sound if Anita was being honest.

“I can deal with that.”

Before long, their wooden skewers were stripped of the fire grilled meat and their drink containers were drained of their contents. They stayed at the dock’s edge, watching as the sun went down, trading jokes and casual conversation. More often than not Anita caught herself staring at Ajay, admiring her. And more often than not Ajay caught her staring. It always resulted in a flash of embarrassment on Anita’s end and sometimes followed by a flirty remark or playful shove from Ajay. Despite how flustered Anita felt by the time they were getting on the hover tram, there was no denying that she had enjoyed her time with Ajay. The closeness of their bodies in the crowded car didn’t feel off, but was in fact welcomed. She wanted to be closer to Ajay.

Eyebrows furrowed at that realization, her heart rate picking up at the slight panic her brain went into. It was just one date! Nothing serious, they were just spending some casual time together. It should take far longer for her to know anything concrete in regards to Ajay. Anita discreetly evened out her breathing and focused on following Ajay’s lead. Where were they going again? Dark brow eyes looked around. The familiar structure surrounded them with large, hydraulic powered doors a few meters away. Right, they were going to her lab. Correction, she was walking Ajay to her lab, she remembered making that statement when they could have parted ways much earlier.

“Ya a million miles away Anita,” Ajay’s voice called out to her.

“I-uh…”

“A credit for ya thoughts?”

There was no way in hell Anita was sharing what was on her mind. A nervous chuckle was let out as she turned to face Ajay. When did they get to the doors already?! Sometimes her swift stride had its disadvantages.

“Just remembering your face when I hit that bulls-eye at 400m with the basic longbow attachments,” Anita deflected.

“That shot was pure luck! Ya would have hit just as bad as I did otherwise,” Ajay jabbed a finger at her armor.

“Luck, you mean skill? Looks like you need to hit the range more,” Anita grinned.

“Oh ya bet I will, then ya will be running for ya life in the next games when I come after ya with it!”

Fire was lit behind those light hazel eyes, and Anita couldn’t help but stare into them. Ajay would never roll over on a challenge, she’d fight to the end. Few things were as attractive as that. Anita leaned forward slightly, her grin growing a little.

“I’ll be waiting, I’ll even stand still to help you out.”

“Ya punk!” Ajay laughed as she shoved Anita back.

A second attempt was made to push her, but Anita easily caught one of her hands and held it. Laughter died on their lips as the air around them became charged with something else. Feet moved closer together. Dark brown eyes darted down to look at the round lips painted with a rich shade of red. Memories flashed by in Anita’s mind. Fuck. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to feel those lips against hers again. An open hand was raised up to cup Ajay’s cheek, guiding her in as Anita leaned down. There was a moment of hesitation to give Ajay the chance to pull away before she closed the distance between them. Eyes drifted shut at the rush of feeling their lips pressed together.

It lasted for only a second as Anita quickly pulled back, her mind and heart racing from her rash decision. However, her panic was cut short as hands gently held the sides of her face tugged her back in. Ajay’s kiss was just as simple and sweet. A light laugh drifted past her lips as she lowered herself from being up on her tippy toes.

“Let’s keep it at that for tonight,” Ajay winked.

Anita was breathless for a moment, her mind still running a million miles per hour. “Y-yeah. That’s a good idea.”

They stepped away from each other.

“I had a good time Anita.”

“Me too,” she quickly nodded. “Thanks for the friendly competition and food choice. I enjoyed it.”

A wide smile formed on Ajay’s lips. “Thanks for walking me home. See ya at the training center at random intervals?”

“I’ll be there,” Anita returned the smile.

“Great.” The doors to the lab opened and Ajay walked in backwards. “Goodnight Anita.”

“Night Ajay.”

The doors closed, cutting off the AI’s announcement of her proximity to the door. Anita turned around and headed for the exit. Few words could describe how she felt right now as her mind was a swirl of emotions. However, two things were for sure, she was excited and terrified to see Ajay again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! This work is about 3/4 done and I am pretty excited for how it will wrap up!  
> Have a wonderful day!


	28. Breaking Tension

Heavy breaths were pulled in and out in time with each kettlebell swing.

_47…48…49…50._

Anita swung the bell down and smoothly set it on the gym floor. One quick glance at the digital clock marked her time. She had two minutes of rest before doing her third and final set. Hands grabbed her sweat towel and used it to wipe up the rivers of sweat running down her bare arms and hands. The last thing she wanted was for the kettlebell to slip out of her hands mid swing. Dark brown eyes wandered to the side, watching a group of people training in the mirror. More accurately, stealing a look at Ajay as she was working out with Renee and Natalie. Ajay currently had 90 kg racked up on her barbell and was squatting like it was nothing. It was hard to look away almost making Anita go over her rest time. Black curls bounced back and forth as Anita shook her head. She needed to focus and stop checking Ajay out in the mirrors, she was bound to get caught and that was only going to make things awkward. Chalk was smeared over the palms of her hands before they grabbed the 25 kg kettlebell and began her last set of fifty swings. A low grunt was let out as a twinge of pain pulsed from her left shoulder. Anita’s movements didn’t slow, it was nothing new and would fade away as she moved through her workout.

It had been three days since their date on Friday. Anita still wasn’t entirely sure how she felt, but at least trading messages back and forth had been enjoyable. Well for most of the time. After a few messages and shared social media posts it became very apparent that Anita wasn’t entirely versed in the jokes and lingo of the internet. Needless to say, some of Ajay’s messages and reaction images left Anita confused. Fortunately, Ajay would always explain the missed meanings so one day Anita would understand them.

_22…23…24…_

Had the fact that neither of them had asked each other out again been on her mind?

Yes.

Was their kiss at the end of the date thought about more than once?

Big yes.

Was Anita terrified of approaching the topic and potentially asking Ajay out on a date?

Very big yes.

39…40…41…

They had told each other they had enjoyed the date and there was a high probability that Ajay had been dropping a few hints about them doing something together again. Anita really wasn’t sure and she didn’t want to make an incorrect assumption. The kettlebell was set back down on the ground again. A huff was let out as Anita rolled out her left shoulder. Fuck that last set really burned. Anita walked over to her water bottle and took a quick swig from it. Next was 100 burpees followed by a few Olympic weightlifting movements to finish it all out. Eyes began to wander yet again, drifting over to where Ajay was cheering Natalie on.

“Just two more! Ya got this!”

“C’mon Nat!” Wraith added.

Their voices were easily heard over the music pumping throughout the gym. Natalie dropped down then drove back up to finish one of the last squats and after a moment to catch her breath the final one was completed with considerable effort. Cheers rang out as the heavy barbell was set in the rack with a clang. Anita couldn’t help but smile. 80 kg for however many reps Natalie had done was nothing to sneeze at. Light hazel eyes glanced in her direction, immediately making Anita look away and become incredibly busy with wiping down her kettlebell. What was next on her list? 100 burpees. Lips were pulled to the side in a slight grimace. The only way to handle those was to get them done and done fast.

The sweat soaked, hand towel was rinsed out in one of the locker room sinks before Anita unceremoniously dropped it on top of her head. With the grace of an aircraft making an emergency landing, Anita plopped down on a bench. She simply sat there with her elbows resting on her thighs, letting her mind and body recover from the intense workout. Maybe doing the Olympic weightlifting after the kettlebell work and burpees wasn’t the best idea. A small sip was taken from her water bottle. Cool water was swished around in her mouth before it was swallowed. The sound of the locker room door opening and closing was accompanied by three voices that each went their different ways. Anita hoped that whoever they were, they just let her be, her mind was far too muddled to have any sort of conversation. Dark brown eyes drifted closed. Her whole body ached, especially her shoulder. More voices could be heard close to her, but nothing was registering.

“Ay is anyone awake under this?”

Eyes snapped open at her sweat towel being pulled away from her face. Anita would have jumped to her feet, but her body refused to do more than jerk back slightly.

“Looks like there is!” Ajay smiled. “Ya got a good workout in?”

Few words could describe how helpless and awkward Anita felt right now. Her cheeks were either burning from embarrassment or how cute Ajay’s smile was. Or both. Her brain was working at one quarter of its usual speed due to exhaustion or because of the nice visual of Ajay’s strong legs and arms. Or both… Anita blinked, opening her mouth only to close it the next second. An eyebrow was raised up; a chuckle drifted past round lips.

“Earth to ‘Nita,” Ajay waved her hand back and forth in Anita’s line of sight.

“Hey,” Anita finally got out, a tired smile plastered all over her face.

“That good huh?”

A scoff jumped past Anita’s lips. “That good,” she nodded.

“Ya going to be sore tomorrow, if ya not, ya some freak of nature.”

“Heh, and you won’t? Even with all that weight you put up today?”

“Sounds like someone’s been watching,” came the light tease.

Cheeks burned. She had been caught. Dark brown eyebrows furrowed as Anita put two and two together.

“Not the only one, how else would you know what I had done?”

Hands were raised up in surrender as Ajay stood to her full height. “Ya got me, though I can’t help but wonder if ya are favoring ya left arm due to some issues with ya shoulder.”

“How did-” Anita’s mouth fell open slightly in shock.

“I’m a doctor,” Ajay stated matter-of-factly, “plus ya have been massaging it a lot. Pull something?”

Anita blinked and shook her head, still trying to get it up to full speed. What was she supposed to say? Dark brown eyes fell to the floor. How did it start hurting anyway? It probably was just some random lift that tweaked it. It wasn’t anything important. Thoughts were instantly derailed when a finger was placed under her chin and gently lifted her face up so she was looking at Ajay.

“Meet me at my lab in two hours, I’ll take a look at it.”

What?

Ajay then smiled, as if accepting Anita’s silence as an agreement, and began to walk away.

“And ya better shower before coming over.”

With that Ajay had walked off leaving Anita incredibly confused.

Despite her bewilderment on the whole arrangement, Anita found herself arriving at the familiar lab and following Ajay’s instructions to remove everything on her top half, except for a simple, black tank top. She was promptly sat down on one of Ajay’s examination tables and had a few questions asked regarding her shoulder. How long? What movements hurt? Etc. With those basics covered, a few comparison tests were done to see how her arms were able to resist pressure from different directions. Warm hands would press down on her raised arms, or try to force them together, or push them apart. Much to Anita’s embarrassment, her left arm gave in much quicker than the right did every single time.

“So from the looks of it, ya left shoulder is off. If I were to guess, it would be all that tension in ya body,” Ajay stated as she took a step back.

“What tension?”

Ajay simply laughed and shook her head. “All in ya trapezoids, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and levator scapulae for starters. Ya back is one giant knot, when was the last time you had someone work on ya?”

Her confused expression must have said enough.

“Like a massage or getting ya knots worked out by a professional?”

Nope. Never. While there might have been a couple of friends in her IMC platoon that were let close enough to do that, the idea of letting her guard down that much here in the outlands was insane. She’d never know if the next second they might put a knife or bullet through her for payment or revenge.

“I’m not comfortable with that,” Anita eventually spoke up.

“Not comfortable with people touching ya in general or mostly because ya don’t trust them?”

“Trust.”

Ajay seemed to weigh something on her mind for a moment before speaking up. “Would ya trust me to work out a little bit of this? It’ll do wonders for ya shoulder.”

Everything screeched to a halt for a second. Wait…what? Anita blinked, unsure of how to respond or even how she felt about it. Ajay would be touching her, just her back and shoulders but…still… There would definitely be another level of closeness. Anita internally shook her head. She was overthinking this. This was being offered as professional treatment, nothing else.

“I could also give ya a couple of names of trusted colleagues of mine and if ya don’t want to go alone, I can accompany ya,” Ajay shrugged, starting to turn away.

Anita instantly panicked, she was taking too long to respond and Ajay was interpreting that as rejection.

“I’d rather have you,” she quickly blurted out.

Light hazel eyes glanced back at her, an eyebrow raised up.

“When do…do you want to…”

“Now’s a good of time as any,” Ajay smiled as she turned back to face Anita.

“Um ok…” Anita’s face was on fire she knew it. “Where do you…you want me to go or…or lie down?” She was a stammering idiot right now and it wasn’t making this any less awkward.

“Just lay face down on this table,” Ajay motioned to the examination table Anita was sitting on. “I’ll bring a rolled towel over so you can prop ya face up with that.”

A quick nod was given in response. In moments Ajay returned with a fluffy towel and formed it into a ring so Anita could rest her face in it. One question weighed heavily on her tongue as she moved to lay down. Fuck it, she just needed to get it over with.

“Should I…should I take my shirt off?”

“It’s easier without the shirt, but only if ya comfortable. I know ya already a bit out of ya comfort zone.”

Ajay’s calm and neutral tone did wonders to steady Anita’s fraying nerves.

“I’ll keep it on,” Anita timidly stated as she laid down.

“No problem.” Ajay’s voice came from her left side. “The best way ya can help is to relax. I’m not going to injure you. I promise.”

Anita pulled in a deep breath of air and slowly let it out; repeating Ajay’s promise in her mind over and over. “Ok.”

A stool scrapped across the floor until it stopped next to the examination table. Anita forced her tense back to relax. She could do this. She could trust Ajay. Much to her surprise, instead of hands digging into her back, a hot towel was draped across her. The warmth instantly seeped into her skin and muscles, working to relax her mentally and physically. For several minutes she just laid there soaking it in.

“Now I’m actually going to work on ya,” Ajay’s voice drifted through the sleepy haze wrapped around her head.

At first it just felt like a nice massage, fists, fingers, and palms rolling against her muscles; then once Ajay had gotten a feel for all of the knots, she began attacking them one by one. The sleepy state Anita had been lured into was swiftly chased away by the pain of her knots slowly getting rubbed out. Needless to say it was difficult to not tense up all her muscles in response. Whenever she accidentally did Ajay would patiently remind her to relax.

Ten minutes turned to an agonizing half an hour and it seemed like they were no where closer to being done than when they had started. Ajay would periodically step back to shake out her arms and encourage Anita to sip some water. Breaking up all of the stored lactic acid would require a good amount of fluids to help flush it all out. Sweat gathered on her skin just from enduring it. On particularly painful moments where Ajay had to keep her attention on the same spot, Anita would bite down on the towel to keep her mouth shut and ground herself in something that wasn’t the elbow digging into her.

After an hour of this Ajay finally stepped back and announced that was all she was going to be able to do today. Anita laid there, hanging in limbo between agony and bliss. Her left shoulder had been thoroughly worked over, but it felt so good.

“Ya back really is one giant knot,” Ajay let out a tired laugh, “Felt like I was trying to massage a bunch of rocks.”

“Mmm,” Anita could only mumble.

Footsteps faded away for a moment only to return with another hot towel. A low groan slipped past her lips, surprising herself and Ajay.

“That good huh?” came the light tease.

“You better not tell anyone of this.”

“I won’t, but if ya want me to work on ya again I’ll need some sort of compensation.”

Anita lifted her face out of the towel ring. “Compensation?”

“Ya ask me on a date.”

Dark brown eyes went wide.

“That is unless I’m completely mistaken on how ya felt about our first date.” Ajay raised up a challenging eyebrow.

“N-no! No I enjoyed our date. I just-” Anita sat up and tested out her left shoulder. Surprisingly it didn’t hurt as much. “I just wasn’t sure how to or if-” she finished the sentence with a shrug.

Ajay stepped up on the short stool so she was only slightly taller than Anita and placed her hands on her hips. The stool was close enough to the examination table that their legs were almost touching.

“Am I seeing this right? Is the ever so confident, borderline cocky, Bangalore scared of asking someone out?”

Cheeks burned even more. “I’m not scared! It’s just…it’s been a while ok?!”

“Just teasing ya ‘Nita,” Ajay let out a breathy chuckle as she leaned in and rested her arms on Anita’s shoulders.

The air around them shifted as those sparkling, light hazel eyes stared into dark browns. Anita swallowed thickly as she slowly lifted her hands to rest them on Lifeline’s sides.

“I was thinking about it, just didn’t have a good idea of how to ask you.”

“Well how about this? ‘Ajay would you like to go out on a date with me?’”

Anita couldn’t keep the smile from forming on her lips as she rolled her eyes. “Ajay…”

Fingers began to play with the short hairs on the back of her neck.

“…would you like to go out on a date with me?”

“Yes,” Ajay grinned as she leaned in so their foreheads were almost touching.

Just that faint brush of air against her face made her heart rate pick up. Was she pulling Ajay closer or was she leaning in more?

“Now Miss ‘Nita Williams, I have a question for you.”

“What?” She could only anticipate what it might be considering Ajay’s eyes had flickered down towards her lips.

“May I kiss ya?”

“Yes,” Anita’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Eyes closed as their lips met. Soft and light kisses were exchanged until a hand cupped the side of Anita’s face, encouraging her to stay close. Ajay tilted her head and opened her mouth ever so slightly. Bit by bit Anita lost herself in the kiss. The feel of those lips gently sucking and biting her own made her head go all fuzzy. Anita tightened her hold on Ajay, she didn’t want to stop just yet. Ajay let out a soft hum of approval and deepened the kiss. Hands slowly began to wander, tracing the toned muscles in Ajay’s back while she ran her fingers over the buzzed sides of her head. They pulled apart for a moment to catch their breath only to meet again in the middle. The longer they continued the more Anita could feel parts of herself stirring that hadn’t for quite some time. It was amazing and terrifying. Amazing in how that rush of endorphins and coursed through her body making her feel alive and stupidly happy. Terrifying in how she felt that she was losing control of herself and surrendering to the sensations. Anita was torn between saying something and just continuing. Things would slow down on their own, she could keep that level of control.

Only moments later, a faint buzzing began to pulse from her pocket. Someone was sending her a message. Anita ignored it at first, but then a second device started to noisily rattle on one of the metal tables. Still they didn’t move apart. It wasn’t until both of their devices went off a second time that Ajay pulled away with a groan.

“I have half a mind right now to throw whoever that is out a window,” Ajay mumbled. She quickly leaned back in for a solid kiss before going to retrieve her communication device.

Anita dug around in her pocket for her device as well, working hard to calm her racing heart and body down. She brushed a finger across her wet and swollen lips. Fuck she had forgotten what it felt like to be kissed like that.

“Ya didn’t happen to get a message from Wraith did ya?”

“Ummm…” Anita quickly thumbed through the notifications on her device until she found the most recent one. “I did actually.”

“Did she word it all weird on yours too?”

An eyebrow was raised up. “What do you mean?”

“‘Nat, Makoa, a few others, and I are meeting up at the Paradise Lounge at 10, you both want to join?’”

“Both?”

“Yeah,” Ajay looked up at Anita. “I didn’t tell anyone you were coming over.”

Anita quickly glanced down at her message from Wraith, confirming that the exact same wording had been sent to her as well.

“Mine says the same and I haven’t talked to anyone since our conversation in the locker room.”

“Huh…that’s weird…” Ajay was thoughtful for a second before she let out a playful laugh. “Let’s be honest though, that wasn’t much of a conversation.”

“Hey, I was recovering!”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Ajay typed away on her screen. “I’m saying ‘I’d be down, don’t know what ya mean by ‘both’ though.’.” She paused and looked up at Anita. “Do you want to go?”

“I don’t really have anything going on…are you wanting to go?”

“Why not?” Ajay shrugged. “It’s been a bit since I’ve done anything social, plus they’re always good company. Wouldn’t hurt for you to get to know the other legends a little better.”

“I do interact with them on occasion,” Anita quickly objected.

“Outside of the arena and the training facility?”

She shut her mouth with a snap and glared at Ajay. “Fine, I’ll go, but I’m not making any promises on how long I’ll stay.”

A big smile formed on Ajay’s lips. “Message sent! You should probably reply as well.”

Anita nodded as she typed her response.

Bangalore – You sure that message was for me?

Wraith – Yes. You both coming or not?

Anita could only shake her head at Wraith’s swift response.

Bangalore – I’ll come for a little bit, don’t know who else you’re referring to.

Wraith – Got it.

With the conversation over, Anita headed over to grab the rest of her clothes and get ready for the impromptu meet up in under an hour.

“Hey, ‘Nita, did you get a message from Natalie?”

She stopped and pulled out her device. It had buzzed twice, which meant there had been two recent messages.

Wattson – Mon amie! Come join us at the Paradise Lounge at 10pm! Renee, Makoa and more will be there. Make sure to bring Ajay with you!

Dark brown eyes met light hazel ones.

“What the fuck?”

“Those two are…” Ajay didn’t even finish her sentence, she just shook her head and walked over to the locker by her futon.

Once she was fully dressed, Anita made sure to check herself in the mirror by one of the sinks. Eyes went wide upon noticing the lipstick smeared all over her still slightly swollen lips.

Shit!

Hands frantically worked to turn the water on and wash all of the evidence off her face. With that potential catastrophe handled, Anita double checked everything else before stepping away. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Ajay glancing in her direction with a grin on her lips.

“Ya done with the mirror? I need to freshen up my make-up, don’t want people wondering why some of it is missing.”

Anita’s cheeks burned. “It’s all yours,” she curtly stated as she marched to the other side of the room.

Ajay’s resulting laugh echoed throughout the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed!


	29. Walking on a Thin Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another update! had a busy week last week. Hope you all enjoy!

As the door opened the digital beats flowed around them, welcoming and pulling them in. Ajay scanned the crowd, finally spotting their group in a corner after a few moments.

“Over there!” Ajay yelled over the music as she grabbed Anita’s arm and tugged her towards the corner booth.

“Ay sistas!” Gibraltar broadly smiled as he waved at them.

“Good to see ya Gibby, mind if we slide in here?” she motioned to the open section to his right.

“Sure thing, you two are the last to arrive, well, unless anyone else wants to join,” he finished with a deep laugh.

As Ajay slid in, followed by Anita, she caught Wraith staring at her over the rim of her martini glass. A very calculating gaze that she wasn’t quite sure was for. However, nothing was said other than brief greetings.

Menus were grabbed and looked over. Ajay was painfully reminded that she had, yet again not eaten for some time. She hadn’t thought to after working out as she was preparing for Anita to visit. Then she was working out the woman’s knots, and then they were…well…busy until they had been interrupted by the invitation. The sections that listed out simple sandwiches and pizzas were skipped in favor of the larger entrées and combinations offered. Whatever she picked, she wanted there to be a good amount of meat for her to sink her teeth into. Eyes trailed down the columns, finally resting on the “ULTIMATE Porkchop Platter of Champions”. Ten of Mirage’s famous porkchops with a mountain of mashed spuds, gravy, four buttery biscuits, and a pile of grilled vegetables. There was no possible way she was going to be able to finish all of that, let alone a quarter of it, but literally nothing else on the menu was catching her eye as much as this was. Granted there were smaller porkchop options, but for the quantity versus overall price. This was also the best deal. Ajay shrugged. She could take most of it home. Hazel eyes darted to her left, Anita was still pouring over her menu, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

“Ay ‘Nita,” Ajay nudged her elbow. “What do ya think about sharing this?”

Anita leaned over to read the item Ajay was pointing at.

“Ten porkchops? I don’t think I’d eat more than two considering everything else offered.”

“So we split and take home what we don’t eat.”

Round lips were pursed as Anita internally debated the offer. Ajay couldn’t help but glance at them for a moment, her mind almost wandering to earlier events between them. She quickly looked away and focused on the menu.

“Deal,” Anita spoke up. “I could use the leftovers, plus Mirage is always going on about these, time to try them out.”

“I enjoy the combination of flavors in them,” Wattson pipped up.

“How many of ya have tried these?”

Wraith raised her hand for a split second.

“Had to see what all that talk was about and wasn’t disappointed. I may try to sneak one off your platter if you don’t keep a sharp eye on it,” Gibraltar winked.

“You don’t need to sneak one, you’re more than welcome to have one of mine,” Anita said.

“Aw, thank you sista! Though I was looking forward to the challenge.”

Anita let out a low chuckle. “You can still try, but I’ll be keeping a sharp eye on it.”

Gibraltar laughed.

“Alright! A whole gath- gather- group of fellow legends here!” Mirage greeted them. “Got any wishes of your heart that can be sat- satisfie- fulfilled by the menu, or yours truly?”

“‘Nita and I will be splitting the ‘ULTIMATE Porkchop Platter of Champions’, and I’ll take a glass of scotch and ya pink lemonade.”

“Oh ok, is this ‘Nita going to be showing up soon?”

Ajay looked at him confused. “‘Nita,” she motioned to Anita, “Anita Williams, Bangalore?”

Mirage’s eyes went wide. “Right! Right! Anita, ‘Nita, cute nickname.”

Ajay could feel Anita’s glare at Mirage from where she sat.

“B-but I will just stick to Bangalore or Bangs. Bangs is good,” Mirage nervously laughed as he scribbled down Ajay’s order. “Anything else?”

“A glass of water, and some of your Witt’s Whiskey.”

“Got it. Renee you want another Appletini?”

A nod.

“Wattson?”

“I want a large basket of fries and another tonic and gin.”

“G-man?”

“I’ll take one of those pink lemonades as well.”

“Ok! Mirage will be back in a flash with all those drinks and everything else will come out when they’re ready!”

Casual conversation was passed around as they waited. As Mirage promised the drinks were served in moments, however the platter of pork chops took a while to come. Ajay had to sneak a few of Wattson’s fries to last the wait. Wattson eventually ordered another basket so everyone could snack to their hearts content. The fact that one basket was put in the middle of the table and the other was set between Wraith and Wattson didn’t slip by unnoticed. Ajay could only smirk as she watched the two of them share the same dipping sauce cup while they ate the fries together.

Just as the baskets of fries were cleared off, a burst of fanfare rang out. Mirage with several of his decoys dancing around approached holding the long-awaited giant platter of food.

“The only feast fit for a Champion! A Witt family specialty, the ‘ULTIMATE Porkchop Platter of Champions!’” he declared as he set it down in the middle. “Now everyone play nice, I brought plates for everyone.”

Everyone either cheered or whistled at the impressive display. The mashed spuds had been sculped into a mountain while the grilled vegetables and biscuits had been arranged to resemble a small model of skull town. Ajay snapped a quick photo of the food art before grabbing a plate and spearing the closest pork chop. To say it was worth both the money and the wait was an understatement. The meat was tender and juicy, and the medley of seasonings hit just right. With Anita’s and Ajay’s encouragement, everyone took a serving or two, or in Gibraltar’s case, a pork chop or two from it. Lively conversation was tossed back and forth as they enjoyed themselves. Few things were more enjoyable than sharing food and drinks with friends. Ajay watched out of the corner of her eye as Anita took a sip from her second glass of whiskey. It brought a smile to her face to see the stern woman having fun and making more friends.

The remains of the pork chop platter, practically half of it, was divided into two boxes for Anita and herself to take home. Ajay leaned back, letting out a satisfied sigh. She might have eaten a little too much, but hell it was worth it. Anita stood up and excused herself to go to the bathroom. As soon as she was out of earshot Ajay felt the mood at the table shift.

“So,” Gibraltar spoke up as he fiddled with his empty glass. “You and Anita? You two a thing or something?”

“What?” Ajay nervously laughed. “What makes ya think that?”

“Oh please,” Wraith rolled her eyes. “Cut the bullshit.”

“We heard you in the locker room, and Wraith told me how insufferable you two were during all that testing,” Wattson added.

“There’s no harm in a little bit of flirting,” Ajay tried to brush off. “I mean we’ve only been on one date.”

“A date?” Gibraltar’s eyebrows went up.

Shit.

“Who kissed who first?” Wraith shot right to the point.

“I didn’t say that…” she tried to backtrack.

Gibraltar shook his head, his round lips pulling down into a frown. “Don’t know how I feel about this. Anita wanted to go on a date with you?” he raised an eyebrow. “Even with all things considered?”

“Y-yes…we’re getting along much better now.”

Ajay couldn’t help but tense up a little. It would be a bad time for Gibraltar to bring up that one section of Anita’s and her history. As far as she knew, Wraith and Wattson didn’t know about it. Then again Wraith and Mirage were good friends…

Wraith looked a Gibraltar, her face now full of confusion. “I thought out of everyone here you’d be the most excited to see the two of them finally getting together.”

Ajay slowly let out the breath she had been holding, so Mirage hadn’t said anything.

“Look all I’m going to say is that this was a surprising jump, that’s all,” he raised his hands up. “It wasn’t too long ago that Anita wanted nothing to do with you.”

“She trusts me. I didn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to,” Ajay quietly defended. She could feel her tongue burn slightly with that statement as her mind brought up the first time she had kissed Anita.

Deep brown eyes looked into hers. After a moment Gibraltar sighed and looked away for a brief moment. “My advice, take it slow. Whatever trust she has in you is new.”

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Ajay stated.

“I believe you,” Gibraltar finished.

A heavy pause drifted through the air. Ajay broke the eye contact and took a long sip from her lemonade. In the distance she noticed Anita making her way back over to their table. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief that she hadn’t come back sooner. Anita slid into her spot next to Ajay and glanced around, easily noticing the tense atmosphere.

“Did I miss something?”

All four of them looked at each other, no one really jumping to answer her question.

“Nah I just think the food overload is hitting us, at least it is for me,” Ajay punctuated her sentence with a yawn.

“Even Gibraltar has to tap out sometimes,” the big man chuckled as he dropped some cash on the table and stood up. “I’ll see you all back at the training center.”

“Sure thing G,” Anita reached a hand out.

Gibraltar smiled, clapped their hands together, and then much to her surprise pulled her in for a quick hug.

“Don’t forget, next games are just around the corner. Gibraltar will be coming for you!” He said as he walked away.

They all waved in return, wishing him a good night.

“It is late, we should all be heading home,” Wattson spoke up.

Sounds of agreement drifted around the table. It had been a good time, aside from the awkward conversation. Wraith disappeared into one of her portals only to arrive a moment later with Mirage. To Ajay the trickster didn’t seem too surprised at being suddenly pulled through the void, all things considered it probably wasn’t the first nor would be the last time that happened. Drinks and food were paid for along with a generous tip. All four of them left the Paradise Lounge together and headed for the hover tram station. One tram on the west route was pulling up right as they arrived at the station.

“Perfect timing, we can all head back to the living quarters together!” Wattson clapped her hands together.

“You all have a safe journey home, mine is the next one,” Anita corrected.

“Ya don’t live in the complex with the rest of us?” Ajay blurted out before she could stop herself.

“Nope,” came the simple shrug.

So many questions bombarded Ajay at once about this piece of information. However, she didn’t get the chance to ask any as Wraith dragged her onto the hover tram before it could take off without them. She didn’t even get to properly say good-bye to Anita. All she could do was wave back at the rapidly fading figure. 

“Makes sense why I never saw her around our places,” Wraith spoke first.

“I…thought she did,” Ajay frowned. “Why would she pass up that opportunity?”

Wraith shrugged. “Maybe you should ask her over dinner or something.”

Ajay threw a dirty look at the voidwalker. “Ya not out of hot water for ganging up on me back there, I suggest ya don’t make it worse.”

‘Nita – You free this Saturday from 0600 to 1200?

Ajay – I can be, what’s up?

‘Nita – It’s for our date, remember? Thought I’d get the basic information to you.

Ajay – Well how kind of you. What type of clothing should I wear?

‘Nita – Something you can move in and don’t mind getting a little dirty.

Ajay – What kind of dirty?

‘Nita – DIRT dirty!

Ajay laughed as she read the latest message from Anita. It wasn’t too hard to visualize Anita’s red face or her frustrated voice.

Ajay – Just making sure I’m prepared for the right activity. What are doing?

‘Nita – It’s a surprise, but I think you’ll like it.

A smile formed on her face.

Ajay – Can’t wait ;)

“Ya know!” Ajay grunted as she reached for the next small ledge of rock. “Had I known we were climbing I could have brought my gear.” A quick breath was pulled in before she jumped to the next spot. “Then ya wouldn’t have had to rent any of this.”

Anita glanced down over her shoulder from where she was climbing a couple of meters above Ajay. “And ruin the surprise?”

“Just tell me they didn’t gouge ya.”

“Of course not! I know how to haggle.”

Ajay stopped on a slightly larger ledge to catch her breath. Light hazel eyes looked up and watched as Anita jumped to another uneven area of rock that made for great hand and foot holds. Strong muscles tensed and relaxed with each movement, giving Ajay quite the view from down here. There was much to enjoy as Anita wore a fitted, purple tank top, and loose, black, knee length, athletic shorts. Ajay took a quick sip from the water bottle strapped to her side before resuming the climb. Hot sun beat down on them, making rivers of sweat roll down exposed skin and soak the clothing they wore.

“Can I ask ya something ‘Nita?”

“Sure.”

“Why don’t ya live in the legend apartments with the rest of us?”

Anita paused her climb and shrugged. “There really wasn’t an advantage to.”

“What?!” Ajay couldn’t believe what she had heard. “The places are relatively inexpensive, are well furnished, and they have great security. I’d think ya of all people would appreciate some additional security.”

“Security that would look the other way, or ‘accidentally’ let some group in that didn’t like me,” Anita countered.

Ajay paused and looked up at Anita as she continued to climb.

“Not to mention everyone would know where I lived so they could plan to intercept me before I got inside. Then there was the whole deal that I already had a place to live that was less expensive than those apartments.”

“Yeah but that place can’t be the same quality,” Ajay tried and she resumed climbing.

“It has all the necessary functions; I don’t spend much time there anyway. Besides, moving to the legend housing would mean I would be living closer to Caustic, Mirage, and you.”

The last word hit Ajay hard. She pulled in a deep breath of air and pushed herself to climb faster so she could catch up with Anita. For a few moments they climbed in silence.

“Ya, right,” she spoke up a little later. “There really weren’t any advantages to moving there when ya sighed ya contract. But-” Ajay grunted as she pulled herself onto the large ledge they had been heading towards for the past couple of hours, “would ya ever reconsider?”

Dark brown eyes looked into light hazel ones. Anita sighed and looked away as she leaned back on the palms of her hands. Ajay followed her line of sight and stared out over the valley below them.

“Maybe, but only if I saw a need to change locations. Right now I’m fine with where I’m at. No one has found it, and I save a little more money each month.”

“That why ya weren’t concerned about paying for the rental on these?” Ajay teased as she motioned to the harnesses and ropes attached to them.

Round lips turned up into a smile as Anita chuckled. “Exactly why.”

Wind rushed past them as they took a few moments to hydrate and enjoy the stunning view. Ajay pulled out her communication device and took a few photos and a video of herself with the valley as her background.

“Ay ‘Nita, get in this picture.”

“What for?”

“Just do it, got to show off who my climbing buddy was.”

Anita stood up next to her with a grunt. “You think that is a good idea?”

“Make it one of ya serious poses, as far as any of my followers know we just training together, not on a date.”

“If you say so…”

A few shots were taken until Ajay was happy with one. Fingers typed quickly, adding a caption, a few hashtags, and Bangalore’s tag before posting it on her social media.

“There! Some positive press for ya, maybe help grow ya fanbase a little.”

“I don’t have a fanbase,” Anita stated as they sat back down, legs dangling over the ledge.

“5987 followers says otherwise.”

“What?” Anita leaned over so she could see the numbers on Ajay’s device. Lips were pulled sideways into a half frown. “They probably just there for the information I post.”

“What do ya post?”

“The PR guys told me I had to post at least one thing a week. So I just pick a gun and list off some good know information about it from how it preforms, to how it changes with modifications, to situations it’s best used for. Just cool gun facts,” she finished with a shrug.

Ajay coughed out a laugh as she looked through Anita’s posts. Sure enough, just a bunch of pictures of guns and an essay about each one. However, as she kept scrolling she found a couple of pictures of Anita, both with her in her gear training.

“Hey, ya should post more with ya face, these ones have a ton of comments and likes.”

“You looked at the comments?”

“No, but I-” her voice trailed off as she began to scan through them. After a moment she couldn’t read anymore and put her communication device away. “They’re all a bunch of asses with nothing better to do with their time.”

“Turned off my notifications and made it so only those I follow can message me after that first picture. Now I just talk about what I enjoy to meet my contract requirements.”

Out of curiosity Ajay pulled out her device and looked through the comments on Anita’s latest post. While there were still plenty of people who were negative towards her for no reason, there were a good number of people reacting positively and even stating how awesome Anita was.

“Maybe one of these days ya could check out one of ya newer posts, things change.”

Anita shook her head. “I’m not here for the fans or the fame. I’m here to earn money so I can get back home.”

“Right,” Ajay nodded.

A moment of silence drifted between them.

“Hey,” Ajay nudged Anita’s arm, “Can I have one smiling picture with the legendary Bangalore?”

Dark brown eyes were rolled as Anita scoffed. “Sure.”

Ajay leaned back against her and smiled, holding the device up to catch a picture. “Awww look that’s a cute one!” she playfully gushed as she showed it to Anita.

“Ugh! Please don’t post that, you’ll ruin my image.”

“Of course not, this one stays in my personal folder.”

They looked at each other for a moment, laughter floating in the air. Ajay wanted to lean forward and kiss her right then and there, but resisted the urge. They were out in the open, and one never knew when someone’s drone was flying around.

After resting for a little while longer, they climbed back down. Food was quickly acquired and the two made their way to Ajay’s lab to clean up a bit and enjoy it in peace. Somewhere in that time she found herself sitting in Anita’s lap with their lips mashed together. Ajay had no idea who initiated, but she didn’t care as she just wanted to enjoy every moment she got to kiss Anita breathless. They parted some time later, breaths heavy, hearts racing, and pupils dilated. Ajay made sure to back off there and not continue even though her body wanted to. Gibraltar’s words were still hanging in the back of her mind and the last thing she wanted to do was push Anita too far too quickly. With a hug, a kiss, and a promise to do something again in the future, Anita headed back to her place. Ajay could only smile as she watched the attractive woman walk away. She was dating Bangalore and couldn’t be happier.

The next few weeks saw a number of changes in Anita’s life. For one, she actually had a social life. Invitations to hang out with the other legends came at a higher frequency, she declined most of them, but sometimes would go out to have some fun especially if Ajay was also going. Ajay. Lifeline. The woman that had started to become a larger part of her life. Not only did they message back and forth at least once at day, but Ajay liked to occasionally join her for workouts and would always grab the station next to her whenever they both were at the firing range. Challenges and bets were made as their competitive natures always clashed. And then there was the time they spent together just the two of them. More often than not their dates and meet ups would end up with the both of them passionately making out until they had to back off and cool down. As much as Anita enjoyed that part, it was also an area of internal conflict for her. There was a strong physical desire that stirred every time they were around each other and often nagged at Anita’s mind when they were apart. So addicting was the feeling of Ajay’s hands in her hair or being pressed up against a wall while teeth would gently nip at her lips and neck. It felt as if she could drown in the sweet nectar of Ajay’s lips yet still die of thirst.

However enjoyable, those same thoughts made her question her intent behind continuing to date and spend time with Ajay. Was she doing it just for the physical affection she so desperately craved? Or was she doing it because she genuinely liked Ajay and wanted to be around her? Ajay was always more than willing to oblige with anything physical, from the kissing, to the occasional touching they had done. To Ajay though, their dating meant more than that. She could see it in the way the woman looked at her and how she would tease or compliment her. 

Many times Anita had tried to sit herself down and figure out exactly how she felt about Ajay. There was no denying they had a lot of fun together and had many similar interests, while the same time, they had many differences and areas of disagreement. Nothing they hadn’t been able to work past or agree to disagree on. Where Anita always got hung up on was if she liked Ajay in a romantic sense and had been able to move past all of the hurt that had been caused by her. It didn’t help that her mind was still plagued with occasional nightmares and flashbacks of their painful past. The frequency of them had dropped considerably over the years, but they would still hit her when she was least expecting it or would twist a nice beginning into something worse. Those were the hardest ones to recover from as that was Anita’s greatest concern, the feeling that if she let her guard down too much, she’d find an electrical cord in her back.

The longer Anita was stuck in that crossroads concerning Ajay, the more a fear began to grow there. A fear that Anita’s inability to define how she felt meant that she was using Ajay and toying with her feelings. And that was the last thing she wanted to do.


	30. Running Hot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very big chapter. I could have split it, but really wanted to keep things moving.
> 
> ALSO IMPORTANT! There is a slight CW for this chapter in regards to Ongoing Consent towards the end of the chapter. Nothing major just a grey area that happens, but I wanted to give a heads up so anyone who might be sensitive to that can be prepared.

Motors softly hummed as the elevator began to climb. Anita took a deep breath and slowly let it out while making a conscious effort to relax her tense muscles. Eyes watched the digital counter jump up to the next number. Ajay’s invite to come over and make dinner together was easily accepted when Anita had thought they would be meeting at the lab like usual. However, when Ajay had clarified that they would be cooking at her place due to the lab not having the adequate equipment, Anita’s anxiety had spiked. Sure she had tried to playfully negotiate still meeting at the lab, but Ajay had remained firm in her decision. She had promised to Anita that it wasn’t some underhanded ploy to get her to move into the legend housing.

Anita swallowed thickly as the elevator stopped and opened up. She poked her head out, thankfully not seeing anyone, and headed down the hall. It wasn’t just feeling completely out of place here, but it was also Ajay’s home, not her lab. The lab came with a certain amount of security and familiarity, whereas Ajay’s home was far more foreign and intimate. Anita shook her head. They weren’t going to be doing anything more than they had done before, she was going to make sure of that. It was too close to the next games and she needed to get her head in the zone.

As she made her way down the hall, she recalled the only other time she had been here. It was for a movie night at Gibraltar’s. Several of the legends had attended and there was a big to do about which movie to watch. Somehow it was decided that Bloodhound would pick the movie. Much to everyone’s surprise, they picked a murder mystery over the number of nature documentaries available. When questioned on their choice, Bloodhound simply shrugged and said that they wanted to see something new as they had already watched the documentaries a few times.

Feet halted their quick pace once eyes located the correct door number. Anita pulled out her communication device to double check the number and what food items she was supposed to bring. Everything was correct. With a deep breath Anita raised her fist and knocked on the door three times. It opened a moment later and she was greeted by a smiling Ajay.

“Nice to see ya made it without getting lost,” came the tease.

Dark brown eyes rolled and scoffed as a smile creeped onto her face. “Not the first time I’ve been here.”

“Well it’s ya first time here,” Ajay pointed down at her apartment, while stepping back to let Anita in.

“One floor down and a few doors over isn’t that big of a change.”

Anita walked into the apartment and closed the door behind her, the automatic lock instantly clicking into place

“Either way, I’m glad ya could make it,” Ajay said as stood up on her tippy toes to give Bangalore a quick peck on the lips.

Dark brown eyes followed Ajay as she turned and headed into the kitchen. Softer tokens of affection had started to become more common between them. Simple kisses, hugs, holding hands, and even cuddling. All done in private of course and all things that Anita just couldn’t help but soak in and enjoy.

“Did ya bring everything I asked for?”

“Yeah, I did,” Anita replied while kicking off her shoes and walking towards the kitchen.

She took her time, letting herself absorb the interior of Ajay’s apartment. It was structured the same as Gibraltar’s with the hard floors, well-furnished, medium sized kitchen, and large living room/dining area. Behind the various closed doors she knew were a couple of closets, the bathroom, and the bedroom. As for how the two legends decided to personalize their apartments, Ajay’s decorating sense was lively to say the least. There was a corner full of Lifeline merch, posters, and favorite fan gifts. Another area had a small workbench with the charger for her D.O.C. and many other medical and technological supplies. As for self-supplied furnishings and decoration, Anita could easily say Ajay had good taste. The couches and reclining chairs looked comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The entertainment center, coffee table, and shelves all matched in style and color. A number of soft rugs, green plants, and pieces of art were strategically set and hung around her apartment, effortlessly breathing life into the air. It looked like a home, a place one could go to destress from the day.

“Do you want the full tour?” Ajay asked as Anita began to unload her ingredients on to the kitchen counters.

“After dinner?”

“Sure thing.”

“What would you like me to help with?”

“Ya could chop up the meat into small cubes while I prepare the ingredients for the sauce.”

“Roger that.”

Ajay let out a soft giggle. “Responding like that makes it sound like you were just given orders for some mission. ‘SGT First Class Anita Williams, you are to slice up these hunks of leviathan meat into acceptable half centimeter cubes!’,” she finished with a mock commanding tone before bursting into laughter.

Anita laughed and shook her head. “Throw in a dozen insults and no one would be able to tell the difference.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Cooking together proved to be quite the fun activity. Ajay had planned out what they were having for dinner so Anita was generally tasked with ‘chop this’, ‘dice that’, ‘stir this’, or ‘measure that’. She didn’t mind following Ajay’s lead. It was nice to not have to think too hard about what she was making. About an hour or so later they sat down to a flavorful meal rich with meat and vegetables.

“And a little something to top it all off,” Ajay said as she popped open a wine bottle and poured out a glass for each of them.

Eyebrows were raised up. “Fancy, should I go find some candles to light?”

“Ya wouldn’t find any that didn’t mess with the food. They’re all scented like chocolate chip cookies or passion fruit cucumber watermelon.”

Anita choked at that last name. “Please tell me your joking,” she said after clearing her throat.

“Maybe, I can’t remember was crazy combinations people are putting in candles these days.”

“But you still buy them.”

“I don’t buy them, they’re gifts.”

Anita shrugged. “A very safe gift.”

“I don’t know…ya try lighting the one that is supposed to be lemon broccoli snickerdoodle and tell me that wasn’t an assault on ya nose.”

Once again Anita was caught with her mouth full, barely able to keep herself from spitting out her drink as her frame shook with laughter. Dark brown eyes looked up to see Ajay leaning back in her chair, her wine glass in her hand, smiling widely.

“See this is why we can’t go to nice places together, ya make a mess. Who taught ya table manners?” came the tease.

“I have fantastic table manners,” Anita straightened up. “You just keep on making me laugh at the worst times.”

“Can’t help it, ya have a pretty laugh.”

Cheeks began to burn. Anita let out a nervous chuckle and focused on the food in front of her. Compliments from Ajay always seemed to catch her off guard.

“Now for ya grand tour of the place!” Ajay threw her hands out wide as she walked around the living room.

They had finished eating not too long ago and had simply been sitting and talking. Anita stood up from the table and began to follow her.

“This as ya can easily see is my living room, workspace, impromptu medical treatment center, and Lifeline fan corner. Mostly the medical stuff is reserved for Silva as he often shows up with injuries whenever he drops by to talk. The door on ya left is full of all my gear for the games or for when I do a job with the frontier corps or any other thing I get into. The door on ya far right is just a closet full of household things. If ya ever need more toilet paper and there’s none in the bathroom, check there.” Ajay skipped along. “Speaking of which, this door right here is the bathroom. Complete with toilet, shower, tub, and space to walk.”

Anita looked around the bathroom. It was in really good condition; the appliances were all state of the art and had been kept nice and clean. There was no decades old mold hiding in the cracks and grooves like there was at her place. Several bodywash and hair care products could be seen organized in the shower. Ajay always did smell nice.

“Last but not least, the bedroom!” Ajay opened the door and strolled in. “Including a small computer desk, vanity, closet, and most importantly the bed.” She promptly fell backwards on it, letting out a soft sigh.

Feet cautiously approached the large bed as Anita looked around the room, taking in the more personal decorating. Music posters, headphones, stereo, computer, a few pictures with people in them.

“Come join me,” Ajay patted the spot next to her.

“Oh uh…I don’t-”

“‘Nita.” An eyebrow was raised up at her. “I’m not going to bite ya, unless ya want me to.”

Heat rushed to her face as Anita mumbled. With some reluctance Anita sat down on the bed next to Ajay.

“Now, lay down,” she said as she pushed Anita back, “and enjoy this for a moment.”

Anita laid back, not completely resisting Ajay’s hand on her shoulder. Dark brown eyes stared up at the ceiling trying to focus on anything but what the implications of being on Ajay’s bed meant.

“Relax!”

A pillow suddenly struck her in the face, startling her. Anita jerked up into a sitting position ready to defend the next strike only to see Ajay laying on her side with a smile on her lips, the offending pillow tucked under her arms.

“Relax ‘Nita, we aren’t going to be doing anything. It’s far too close to the games.”

Anita nodded and laid back again, this time trying to let herself enjoy being on a bed for once. Bit by bit her body began to melt into the soft, yet solid mattress. This felt mountains better than her worn futon. When was the last time she had slept on something this nice?

“We’re both getting ready to shoot each other in the face, not the best time for bed stuff.”

“Yeah,” Anita softly let out.

“Best saved for after.”

“Yeah…” she said after a moment of hesitation.

A hint of nervousness squirmed around in her stomach. The idea of doing ‘bed stuff’ with Ajay wasn’t a foreign one, but one that was hard to fully say yes to. While her comfort in sharing physical contact with Ajay was pretty good, it had been a long time since she’d ever been intimate with anyone. There was considerable apprehension on both opening up like that and how she would perform.

“So,” Ajay’s voice pulled Anita’s attention to the present. “Games are a week away and we’re more likely to end up on separate teams than on the same one.”

Anita turned onto her side, dark brown eyes looking into light hazel ones.

“I’m going for the championship, I’m not going to pull any punches or bullets,” Anita stated.

“Same here. I like ya ‘Nita, but I want the money just as much as ya do.”

Anita ran her hand over the soft fabric playing with it as she formulated her next sentence. “I also don’t think it would be wise to try teaming up unless we both are solo and our teammates’ banners have timed out.”

Round lips were pulled into a frown and Ajay sighed. “Makes sense. Ya never know how the other teammates will react. Could easily get turned on.”

“So… I guess we will see what happens huh?”

“We will, but I’d like to make it a little more fun than that,” Ajay grinned.

Anita raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Renee and Natalie like to have little wagers between each other, I was thinking we could do the same.”

“Sounds fun,” a loose grin slipped onto Anita’s face. “What were you thinking?”

“Whoever gets the least kills has to buy the other a drink.”

“Why not, whoever gets the most kills has to buy the other a drink? They’d have more cash to burn.”

“The point is to outdo each other, right?”

“What if I really want to buy you a drink?” she swiftly countered.

Light hazel eyes were rolled in their sockets. “Fine. Whoever kills the most buys the other a drink, but if either one of us is kill leader the other buys them a drink.”

“Alright. What about if one of us becomes the champion?”

“Then champion gets to buy a nice dinner, drinks included.”

“Sounds like the next date is on me,” Anita smirked.

“Ya insufferable-!” Ajay punched her shoulder. “Ya will have to fight me for it.”

“Not too worried about that. If I remember correctly, I’ve beaten you in the games and you haven’t.”

“I could have! I just showed ya mercy that’s all.”

“Doesn’t count if you found me bleeding out.”

That remark earned Anita another punch to the shoulder. All she did was chuckle in response. A pause drifted in the air between them before Ajay spoke up again, this time her voice much softer.

“So…this our last date until after huh?”

Lips were pulled down into a frown. “Yeah…it’s for the best. We got to be focused.”

“Yeah…” Light hazel eyes looked down at the bed where their hands were resting only centimeters apart from each other.

“Dinner was delicious,” Anita changed topics as she slid her hand a little closer.

“Can’t go wrong with family recipes,” Ajay let out a dry chuckle.

“And thanks for inviting me over and showing me your place. It’s very welcoming, beautiful, and I can tell this was all done by you and not some hired crew.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It’s supposed to be a compliment.”

Ajay slid her hand just enough so their fingers were touching. “Maybe next time ya invite me to ya place?”

Anita scoffed and shook her head. “Not likely.”

“What? Why not? Are ya embarrassed about ya decorating skills?”

“No…” Anita said as she sat up, cheeks burning slightly. “Maybe…”

Ajay sat up as well.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Yes!” she threw her arms around Anita and hugged her tightly. “Can’t wait to see what personal touches SGT Anita Williams’s has added to her living space.”

“Yeah…” Anita nervously chuckled as she looked to the side.

Alarms blared out as the drop ship shook up and down. Bangalore effortlessly continued her walk towards the hull. This kind of movement was like home to her. If she closed her eyes she could envision the inside of an IMC dropship and the dozens upon dozens of times she had prepared for the drop. A few of the new qualifiers stumbled about as they made their way towards the hull. Bangalore smirked and let out a low chuckle. FNGs, she looked forward to taking them out in the ring.

_“Approaching drop zone.”_

Dark brown eyes scanned the room before looking up at the screens that were powering on. Any moment now and she would get her squad assignment. Whoever it was she was gunning to the champion spot so they better be able to keep up with her. Images popped onto the screens. Bangalore had to walk around to find hers, only for her lips to be pressed into a thin line. On the left was her banner, on the right was Wattson’s, but in the middle was Caustic’s.

“How serendipitous,” that oily, ventilated voice stated as Caustic’s heavy footsteps came from behind. “Squadmates with reasonable intelligence, though mostly due to Miss Paquette’s inclusion.”

Bangalore frowned as she stepped onto the lowering platform with him. “Not really looking forward to working with you either, Gasman.”

“I’m ecstatic to be on a squad both of you!” Wattson cheerfully broke in between them, hands clapping together. “We will certainly take the championship.”

_“Drop zone ahead.”_ The automated voice rang out.

Dark brown eyes made a quick sweep of the other teams. Red buns caught her sight first. Lifeline was standing next to Pathfinder and Wraith. A good match up, they would be a hard squad to beat. Light hazel eyes caught hers for a second. Bangalore let a small smirk form on her lips. No pulled punches, it was game on. Next was Gibraltar and Bloodhound with an FNG. They were a lethal combo, best to stay mobile around them. The last notable team was Mirage and Octane with another FNG. That squad was bound to rush into anything and have a few crazy stunts up their sleeve. Bangalore glanced over the remaining squads picking out a few possible threats and making a mental note. Nothing she couldn’t handle.

_“Prepare for the drop.”_

Several squads jumped off immediately. Bangalore tried to make a mental note of who she saw go where.

“This landing area will prove to be beneficial!” Caustic shouted out before jumping off the platform.

Bangalore cursed under her breath, both Wattson and Caustic had moved together while she had been scanning the area. Booted feet leapt off the platform. Even though they had a head start on her, all her years at the IMC paid off as she was able angle her body just so to cut through the air and catch up to them. A frown formed on her lips when she saw that they and a couple more squads were headed towards Bunker. They needed to land in there first to grab some equipment and hopefully set up a defensive position before things got too crazy. Bangalore tucked her arms against her sides. She was going to get to that door first.

Jump kits burst to life, slowing everyone’s rapid decent as they neared the ground. Bangalore’s boots hit the concrete at the same time her fist hit the button to open the large hydraulic doors. Caustic and Wattson flew right through the opening as she had planned. Two steps later she was inside with the door snapping on the faces of those in pursuit. It would buy her a few seconds at best, now she needed a gun. The first couple of rooms had nothing as her two teammates had already looted them, but the third had a P2020, a couple of grenades, and a helmet. Hydraulics hissed as the heavy doors were swiftly opened up. Here they come. She needed to find more gear and her teammates. Feet skidded to a halt as Bangalore rounded the corner, nearly running face first into one of Wattson’s fences. Vapors of green gas and the sounds of gunfire up ahead informed her that her team was on the other side and needed backup. With feet rapidly approaching behind her, Bangalore had only one option. She braced herself and barreled through the fence, fully anticipating the charge arcing through her body. However, nothing happened. As soon as she was about to touch it, the fence powered down, only to snap back on right behind her. Bewildered eyes stared at it for a full second. Bangalore shook her head and sprinted forward. Wattson had to have done something for that to happen, she’d have to ask her about it later.

Gunfire rang out in the thick cloud of gas. From the chatter on her intercom both of her teammates were in the thick of it battling another squad. First the electrocution scare, now this… Bangalore took a deep breath and rushed in. Toxic fumes burned her exposed skin and made it hard to see, yet Bangalore steadily moved forward. One unfamiliar figure was spotted and dropped with half of her clip. Her kill count jumped up one at the same time the number of squads went down by one.

“Dusted the last of them!” Bangalore got out, doing her best not to breath any of the gas in.

“Someone’s destroyed a circuit!” Wattson cried out.

Shit. The squad behind them was going to be fresh. Bangalore turned and fired a smoke canister into the narrow hallway, before throwing her two grenades. That should buy them a few more seconds. Now to find her team and more gear. With the gas dispersing Bangalore was able to loot a death box for another gun, a basic body shield and more ammo. Both Caustic and Wattson were hunkered down in one of the larger rooms with two death boxes around them. Rapid footfalls climbed up the stairs to her side. Bangalore turned and crouched.

“Contact! On my marker!”

It was time to take out whatever FNGs thought it would be a good idea to rush her.

Once the bunker had been cleared out and looted of anything work packing, their squad headed up the side of one of the canyons. Bangalore let out a deep breath as she stuck a syringe in her wrist. Clean air felt wonderful. A frown formed as she noted that Wattson was still coughing. They both would be feeling the psychotic effects of Caustic’s gas in less than a day. This wasn’t going to bode well.

“Over here Ms. Paquette,” Caustic marked out an empty building.

Bangalore followed, sweeping the area around them making sure they hadn’t been spotted. Inside Caustic was pulling something out of one of his pouches and instructing Wattson to roll up her sleeve. At the sight of a needle filled with some dubious liquid, alarms rang out in Bangalore’s mind.

“What the hell are you doing?!” she pulled Caustic away from Wattson.

Eyes filled with contempt glared at her. “It would be ill advised to interfere, Grunt.”

“Mind explaining what is in that? And why you’re going to inject it into Wattson?” she gestured to the syringe, not moving from where she was standing in front of the young engineer.

“It is quite alright, Bangalore, this is normal for working on a team with Dr. Caustic,” Watton pipped up as she rested a hand on her shoulder.

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Wattson was ok with this?!

“A perfect antidote to my gas that will last for twenty-four hours, but of course your brutish brain jumped to the wrong conclusions.”

Bangalore took a step back to allow Caustic to inject the serum into Wattson, her entire body tense. The only way she could believe his words was the fact that Wattson was completely calm about it. In a minute the antidote was administered and Wattson was rolling down her sleeve.

“I have a dosage for you as well should you choose to accept,” Caustic turned to face her. “Although it would be far more interesting to watch you slowly lose your mind at such a close proximity.”

Little could describe how much she hated this man, yet she knew she couldn’t risk not taking the antidote. Even if he didn’t set off another gas bomb or trap, she’d be doomed to the nightmare before nightfall. She had to accept if she wanted to win.

“I’ll stick myself,” Bangalore snarled.

“Very well.”

As she took the needle from his hand, she could feel the smug satisfaction radiating from him. Accepting felt like salt in the wound, but the fact that what was inside this syringe was the very thing Lifeline had failed to create only added lemon on top of it.

It wasn’t until the next day that they ran into another squad. By then they had been sufficiently geared up and were lying in wait for whoever decided to wander into their trap. In one of the larger wooden buildings throughout Kings Canyon, Caustic had set up a number of gas traps along with Wattson’s fences set to block each door. The trick here was a remote activation for the fences so the enemy squad didn’t notice them until they were already inside. Bangalore watched through her digital scope, finally spotting some movement, a faint ripple through the air. The door to the building was opened then closed. Fences snapped to life at the same time a number of the gas traps activated. Bangalore kept sweeping the area, Wraith’s teammates couldn’t be far behind.

Sure enough a zipline appeared near the building followed by two figures sliding down it. The gas was starting to fade, so Bangalore took several shots, knocking out Lifeline’s shields and chipping away at Pathfinder’s. Unfortunately, they both jumped off the line and disappeared from view so she wasn’t able to finish either one off. Dark brown eyes scanned the area, not finding any hints until a grenade was thrown from behind a bush to blow up a side of the building. Wood and broken fences were thrown everywhere, creating a hole in the trap set around Wraith. Bangalore bounced her scope back and forth from the surrounding bushes and Wraith who could now be seen crawling on the floor of the building. Pathfinder may try to attack, but Lifeline will most likely try to heal her teammate. Red buns dashed out from behind a bush into the building. Bangalore immediately pulled the trigger, landing several shots to rebreak her shield and dig into flesh.

“Breathe it in,” Caustic almost chuckled as he lobbed one of his gas bombs into the building.

Bangalore winced seeing the fresh wave of gas spill into the building.

“Keep an eye out for Pathfinder,” Bangalore said as she watched the two in the building.

Lifeline had her DOC out and was trying to revive Wraith. Lips were pressed into a thin line as she watched them struggle with the gas. It was obvious that Lifeline was fighting a loosing battle. Memories of those two women tormented with the hallucinations jumped to the forefront of Bangalore’s mind. She didn’t ever want to hear Lifeline crying out like that again. Lifeline’s serum might not work as well, so the only surefire way was for them not to go through that hell would be a hit of the revive solution. And soon.

Bangalore refocused only to see that Lifeline and Wraith were steadily disappearing from her line of sight. Lifeline had stopped trying to heal Wraith and began to drag her out of the gas and somewhere safer. Bangalore couldn’t let that happen. Two shots were fired and Lifeline dropped like a bag of wheat. Even though Bangalore had prepped herself for this, it hit her differently than it used to. Another bullet for Wraith wasn’t needed as death boxes formed around both of them a moment later. A quiet sigh of relief was let out. They shouldn’t have to worry about the nightmares now, and two competent Legends had been removed.

Hands shot out of nowhere, seizing her armor, lifting her up, and slamming her against the cliff behind them.

“I was observing!” Caustic seethed as he slammed her against the rock again.

“What the fuck?” Bangalore growled out as her reflexes snapped to life. In an instant she had twisted a wrist and was back on her feet.

“Your small-minded thinking just cost me dearly. Those two were prime test subjects for the gas and you killed them!” He shouted in her face.

Bangalore didn’t even flinch. “I don’t know if you noticed, but that is the point of the game!”

“Please don’t fight!” Wattson tried to urgently called out from the side.

“My work is far more important than the trivial rewards from this game. Interfere again and you’ll find yourself making up for lost observations.”

“You’ll find yourself with a hole in your head if you try anything! If they are getting picked up or making an escape, I will finish them off! Intentional delays can only bite you in the ass,” Bangalore snapped back.

“I’ll do as I please, stay out of my way.”

The urge to snap back was strong, but Bangalore needed to focus. She knew two members of the squad were down, but what about the third? Bangalore swiftly raised her gun and swept the area.

“Did either of you get Pathfinder?”

Wattson shook her head and Caustic simply ignored her.

“Shit.”

Bangalore slid down the hill they had been perched on and ran to the boxes. Her fist slammed against Lifeline’s death box. The banner was gone. One half-step later revealed the same thing for Wraith. Rage burned through her veins.

“Fucking perfect! Instead of finishing off a dangerous squad, you allowed them escape!” she rounded on Caustic. “I would have caught him going for the banners and we would have been done here! Now we will have to face off against them later!”

“Another opportunity to collect more data,” Caustic shrugged before he bent down and began to rummage through the boxes.

She was one millisecond from cracking him across the face when Wattson stepped up, partially putting herself between them. Distressed, blue eyes looked into hers.

“I understand why you’re angry, but please no more fighting we need to work together. Dr. Caustic has different methods, but he is a great teammate that will help us reach the championship.”

For a long moment she stood there, fighting between following through with the well deserved punch or listening to Wattson. Reason won out over anger. With a huff Bangalore turned around and went to look through Lifeline’s death box.

“Grab what you need, we’re moving out in one minute.”

As she checked through the box, she pretended it didn’t bother her. Hands gripped the barrel mod and ammo that she had taken a little tighter than normal.

Tension remained high between Bangalore and Caustic for the next couple of days. Even with each successful squad wipe. The only time that Bangalore saw any redeeming qualities in Caustic was how he had responded when Wattson had been badly injured. For once the two of them worked well together. With both smoke and gas deployed, Bangalore laid cover fire while Caustic got Wattson back on her feet. Perhaps Wattson’s surprising opinions of Caustic had some backing.

They were inside of the third ring when night fell. Five squads remained. So far it had been quiet, so they decided to hunker down in a building to get some rest. Traps and fences were set up in their building and after a quick discussion both Caustic and Bangalore had taken watch while Wattson got some much needed sleep. Caustic had initially offered to take first watch, but there was no way in hell Bangalore was going to sleep with that man in the same room as her.

Bangalore swept the area visible from her window yet again. Nothing. With the ring’s location, canyons blocked out a bunch of the area making the fighting region much smaller. Someone was bound to notice the fences in the dark, it was only a matter of time. Their set up might deter most from trying to rush, but it wouldn’t stop any bombardments of grenades or snipers. Each silent minute that ticked by only seemed to make Bangalore more anxious. She swept the area again, pausing when she noticed a zipline. Lips were pulled down into a frown. There was a number of ziplines around here, but this one seemed out of place like it was-

“Wake up Wattson!” Bangalore hissed as she stepped back to kick Wattson’s shoes while still keeping her sights on the zipline. “We got company. Pathfinder zipline.”

As those words left her mouth the soft sound of a grenade thumping against the door closest to the zipline was heard. Bangalore barely jumped clear as the explosion ripped through their defenses set up there. Seconds later two thermite grenades joined the party, pushing them back from the opening. At the sound of three figures coming down the zipline and a sniper shot coming through the other side, Bangalore gritted her teeth and prepared for a fight to the end.

Lifeline and Pathfinder jumped through the smoking opening, guns blazing only to be met with a thick cloud of gas as Caustic activated several of his traps. Bangalore pushed them back, breathing a sigh of relief when the incoming grenades were zapped by Wattson’s interceptor pylon and her shields slowly began to repair themselves. However, the whisper through the air that always followed Wraith, told her that whatever reprieve they had won was already gone.

Somewhere in the crossfire and gas as the sniping party rushed, Caustic went down. Bangalore did her best to defend Wattson’s back, but when her pylon was destroyed, a well placed arc star sent her into a box as well. Death boxes gathered in the building, Bangalore wasn’t sure who they were or who had killed them. Blood dripped from her many wounds as she hid in a corner, under a shield of smoke. Weapons were reloaded and she would have healed except the last set of footsteps in the building were less than a meter away. Bangalore jumped out and sprayed her alternator at the assailant only for the wham of a wingman to cut her short. The force of the high caliber bullet shooting through her chest launched her back. A weak cough was let out as she sat limply against a wall. There was no getting back up from that. Eyes looked up at the dispersing smoke to see a pair of buns and light hazel eyes staring at her through a digital scope. With one last breath the everything went dark.

Lifeline fell against Bangalore’s death box as she stuck a syringe in her wrist.

“Got ya back,” she tried to laugh through the pain and subtle ache in her heart.

Any hope that she’d have time to recover was immediately extinguished as the telltale sonar wave passed over her and Bloodhound’s animalistic roar rang out far too close. Lifeline reloaded her gun and dashed to a new area of cover. However, as she turned the corner she came face to face with Gibraltar. There wasn’t even a second to wonder how he had snuck up on her before she was sent back to the box with a shot from his peacekeeper.

The awards ceremony was as exciting as usual. The Paparazzi was everywhere snapping too many pictures and asking too many questions, curses and jeers were thrown from the crowd as she made her way down the red carpet, but at least the food was good and the highlight video didn’t focus on her squad as they had placed fourth. Like always, Bangalore found herself standing on one of the balconies nursing a drink and enjoying the cool night air.

“New suit?” the familiar accented voice called out to her as soft footsteps approached.

Bangalore turned to face Lifeline. Light hazel eyes trailed up her body with a look that almost made her shiver. She looked down at her outfit to break the eye contact. It was a black suit and tie with a rich blue, silk, dress shirt. However, it wasn’t just a plain black material, delicately woven into the black fabric was a floral pattern that would shimmer in the light.

“Asked Gibraltar to help me pick out a new one. I was getting complaints from PR about wearing the same thing too many times,” Bangalore shrugged.

“Looks good on ya,” Lifeline smiled as she brushed off an invisible piece of lint on Bangalore’s shoulder. “Ya should go shopping more often with Gibby.”

A chuckle was let out. “He’s always been a great help.”

Dark brown eyes wandered over Lifeline’s outfit. She wore a pale pink, sleeveless top that hung around her loosely with a low enough neckline that just the tops of her breasts could be seen and a pair of white pants that hugged her hips perfectly before flowing out around her legs. Loose, wavy red hair that cascaded over her shoulders and gold jewelry on her neck, wrists, and ears completed the breathtaking look. Bangalore took another sip of her drink.

“You look stunning tonight,” she got out.

“Same to ya,” Lifeline winked.

Cheeks burned at the simple comment. A moment of silence passed as they both turned to look out over the city. While it was tempting to rest a hand on Lifeline’s or lean in for a quick kiss, they needed to keep everything under wraps, especially with all the cameras everywhere.

“So, we each got each other this time and matched on number of kills,” Lifeline said before she took a sip of her drink.

“We did,” Bangalore nodded. “Guess neither of us get to buy each other a drink.”

“Or we could both buy each other a drink at the Paradise Lounge in two hours.”

An eyebrow was raised up. “Paradise Lounge huh? You mean Mirage’s after games party?”

“Exactly.”

Before she could protest, Lifeline continued.

“Mirage has specific rules for this party and always gets good bouncers to keep the dangerous fans and paparazzi out. Only Legends and vetted fans are allowed in. And…” Lifeline set her glass down so she could adjust the lapels on Bangalore’s suit jacket. “If things get to be too much, we can always head somewhere more private.”

The idea of going somewhere private with Lifeline was both exciting and terrifying. While she knew she could fight it and not go, part of her wanted to, mostly because she didn’t feel like saying good night to Lifeline just yet. Bangalore took a deep breath.

“Alright, I’ll go, but as soon as it goes downhill, I’m out of there.”

“Got it,” Lifeline grinned.

The Paradise Lounge was already packed by the time Bangalore and Lifeline arrived. Once inside drinks were bought and enjoyed as they greeted all of the other legends that were there. Bangalore didn’t miss the ultimate platter of porkchops being taken to the table Gibraltar and Bloodhound were sitting at with their third teammate. A well deserved feast for their win. After her drink, Lifeline pulled her onto the crowded dance floor. Any protests she had about people noticing died on her lips as soon as Lifeline pressed up against her and began to sway her hips to the music.

Loud music and the heated rhythm of the dancefloor flowed around her. Shots were downed and hands would discretely wander as the night rolled on. Most of Bangalore’s surroundings faded to the back as her focus fell strictly to Lifeline. She was as mesmerizing as she was intoxicating. From the way she smiled and laughed, to how she danced and sung to the songs, to the look in her eyes and how hot her touch was. There was no denying that there was a need for privacy, not because of anyone causing trouble, but the fact that both of them were struggling to remain composed.

Eventually the two decided they needed more privacy, and slipped away through the crowd into the night. Glances were exchanged as they silently laughed on the hover tram. Acting proper in public while they both just wanted to start making out became a funny and painful game. How well could they stand next to each other and walk around pretending to be completely so no one suspected anything? Bangalore had no idea, but she couldn’t be more grateful when they were finally off and heading towards Lifeline’s apartment.

The impact of her back hitting the outside of Ajay’s door was barely felt as they desperately kissed each other. Hands trailed down the front of her dress shirt, tugging at where it was tucked into her pants until it was pulled out. Ajay tilted her head and pushed deeper into the kiss while fingers sneaked under the loose fabric. Anita let out a low moan, her abdominals tensing underneath the fingers splayed against her hot skin. For the moment it seemed the whole opening the door requirement was forgotten as tongues slid against each other and lips were mashed together. Anita reached for the handle attempting to open it herself, only to fail due to the DNA lock. One hand slipped out from under her shirt, pressed the button, and instantly unlocked the door, making Anita stumble backwards as her support suddenly gave way. Ajay pushed forward, taking her straight to the couch and pinning her down on it; their lips parting briefly to catch a breath. Somewhere in the distance Anita heard the door close and lock. They had privacy at last.

Hands tightened their grip on Ajay’s shoulders as she felt one of Ajay’s thighs slip between her legs. Ajay rocked forward, her strong leg pressing against Anita’s core, sending sparks of pleasure up her spine. She gasped into the kiss, mind going even more fuzzy than before. Loose, wavy, red hair fell around her face, bringing with it the intoxicating scent of Ajay’s shampoo and perfume as well as the heavy smell of alcohol. She could taste the sharp bitterness on her tongue as much as she was sure Ajay could taste it on hers. Anita wasn’t sure how many drinks or shots she’d had at Mirage’s party or how many Ajay had either. However, that seemed to be an irrelevant factor since the only thing that seemed to be important right now was getting closer to each other.

Ajay’s lips shifted away from her mouth and to her neck as fingers worked at the buttons on her shirt. With each fumbling tug one came loose until the fabric was pulled away and hands began to caress her mostly bare torso.

“ _Oh ‘Nita…_ ” Ajay moaned before licking and biting the pulse point on her neck.

Anita could barely think of what to do next, her body was singing with each touch of her hands, each grind of her thigh, each kiss from her lips. There was no way of catching up, before she knew it her bra had been shoved up towards her throat and Ajay’s tongue was swirling around a nipple as hands cupped her breasts. One hand braced against the back of Ajay’s head while the other gripped her ass. She couldn’t tell if she wanted to encourage the movements or wanted them to slow down. Dark brown eyes stared up at the ceiling, desperately trying to clear the fog engulfing her mind while soft gasps continued to tumble from her open mouth. Oh there was nothing like this. Each jolt of pleasure that raced from her aching center made her hand grip Ajay’s ass even tighter. She could feel how wet with arousal her clothes were getting with each press of Ajay’s leg. Anita scrunched her eyes shut.

“ _A-Ajay…_ ”

Fingers stroked and pinched her wet nipple as Ajay had moved onto the other, sucking and biting it. Her back arched into the touches wanting, no needing more. Yet as that familiar tingle began to build between her legs, Anita’s mind began to panic. Too fast. This was all moving too fast. She was slipping, giving in so easily. Shit. She wasn’t ready. But her body wanted it so bad. It had been craving this level of affection and pleasure and now that it was finally going to get it, it didn’t want to let go. Anita’s breathing began to pick up. She had to say something, anything to get Ajay to slow down or stop.

Lips were pressed against hers, scattering her thoughts for a moment, until the bitter taste and strong smell hit her again. They were both drunk. They both weren’t thinking clearly and were just reacting to the tension that had been building between them for some time. This wasn’t how Anita wanted to have her first time with Ajay, not when their memories might be scattered in the morning and their minds full of regret.

Anita braced her hands against Ajay’s hips, trying with every fiber of her will to push Ajay away, but her body didn’t want to, it wanted her closer. Hands slid down her torso, pausing for a moment to fondle her breasts and pert nipples before going lower. A particularly well angled grind hit Anita just right, making her tremble and cry out.

“ _Ah!_ ”

No, this wasn’t what she wanted. They needed to stop. Anita continued to struggle with herself, trying to force her body to obey the commands from her hazy mind to no avail. The telltale tug on the waistband of her slacks and click of her metal belt buckle sent a shot of ice down her spine. There was no time left, she had to say something. She knew she would crumble and submit if Ajay went any farther.

“s-s-” Anita tried through gritted teeth.

Her zipper was tugged down as lips kissed and nipped at her stomach.

“S-s-” Why couldn’t her mouth even articulate such a simple word?!

Anita was practically hyperventilating now, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

“n-n-NO!”

Ajay paused; fingers not moving any further from where they had begun to slip under the waistband of her underwear.

With that barrier broken Anita was able to say it again, this time clearer. “NO!”

Light hazel eyes looked up into hers, the drunken, lust-filled gaze tempered only slightly by confusion.

“Please no,” Anita practically begged.

Eyebrows were furrowed, eyes blinked a couple of times. “No?”

“Stop.”

“Stop…” Ajay slowly said as if she wasn’t sure what the word meant.

“Please stop Ajay.”

“Stop.” It was said with less hesitancy. “Stop,” She repeated to herself. Eyes suddenly went wide as the word’s meaning hit her. “STOP!” Ajay jumped back to the furthest spot on the couch, a hand shooting to cover her mouth. “Shit!” came the horror-struck whisper. “SHIT, I’m so sorry! ‘Nita, are ya ok?”

Anita shakily sat up and scooted to the other end of the couch. “I-I’m fine…” she breathed out.

Her body exclaimed in frustration, aching for and complaining at the loss of contact while her brain let out a huge sigh of relief. Eyes blinked quickly, dispersing the tears that had been building.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t- I didn’t even check if ya were ok with-” Ajay looked away, her skin tone visibly lighter as if she were sick.

Anita turned to face the TV and began to fix her clothing, doing her best not to look at all the lipstick marks all over her torso. She’d wash them off later.

“I got carried away- I wanted-”

Dark brown eyes met light hazel ones. Panic, stress, worry.

“I need to sober up,” Ajay stated, then stood up and headed into the kitchen. “Ya want a drink of water?” she asked as she was pouring herself a glass.

“Yeah,” Anita cleared her throat. “That would be a good idea.”

Ajay quickly handed her the glass of water, not even looking at her face and instantly turning away to rummage through the fridge.

“Ya go take a shower if ya want, there’s extra towels under the sink. I’m going to cook something that’s very easy to burn if I don’t watch it. Don’t think I ate much at the ceremony…” Ajay trailed off.

“Thanks, yeah I-I could use a shower.”

The glass of water was swiftly tossed back and the empty cup set on the counter. Ajay was already getting a frying pan out and was completely focused on her task of cooking whatever she had pulled from the fridge. Anita slipped away from the awkward situation. When she closed and locked the bathroom door a heavy sigh was let out. She needed a cold shower; she didn’t trust her own body until she too had completely sobered up. The feeling of Ajay’s touches were still dancing like phantoms across her skin and that ache between her legs hadn’t gone away.

Sharp, ice cold water struck her face and body, making her want to jump back, but she forced herself to stand there and endure it. For several minutes Anita just let her heated body get chilled to the bone. Hands were kept firmly to her side, she wasn’t going to even finish what her body was calling for, she was going to wait and freeze it out. Once her teeth were chattering together and her skin was almost numb, she worked to wash her hair and roughly scrub her body. There would be no evidence of what had transpired between them. Nothing except… a frown pulled at the corner of her lips as she exited the shower and began to dry off. She didn’t have another change of clothes. Shit. A knock at the door made her jump and swiftly wrap the towel around her body.

“Ay ‘Nita?”

“Y-yes?”

“I set a change of clothes outside ya door. It’s uhhh some of my stuff that should fit ya if ya want. There’s underwear too, but I don’t know how ya feel about wearing that…it’s all clean I promise!”

“Thanks!”

“I’m a head back to the kitchen, can’t let the food burn.”

Anita listened to the faint footsteps walk away. When she felt it was safe, she cracked open the door, located the clothing, snatched it, and locked the door. Hands inspected the neatly folded stack of clothing. A large, black t-shirt with the Apex logo on it, a pair of light blue fabric shorts, and the underwear. Anita swallowed as she looked at the panties and bra. Her mind began to wander ever so slightly to what Ajay would like with them on and nothing else. The items were immediately set to the side as Anita shook her head. She would just go with the clothing. The shirt was one size too big, but that was no issue as she wanted the extra bulkiness to hide her figure. The shorts on the other hand were shorter than she was used to as they barely reached her mid-thigh. There was a noticeable breeze due to the lack of underwear, even though everything was covered. Anita steeled her nerves and walked out with her evening outfit in hand. Everything would be fine. They’d get her clothes clean or something and then she’d head home.

Sizzling sausages and low whirr of the fan pulled her attention towards the kitchen. Ajay was standing by the pan, idly pushing the sausages around as they cooked. Lips are pressed into a thin line; she wasn’t sure how to break the silence. Anita looked at her clothes.

“Hey Ajay, is there somewhere I could hang or wash my clothes?”

Ajay turns around and looks up at her, eyes taking a moment to go over her appearance. Anita can’t help but feel a little exposed. Cheeks darkened and Ajay immediately focused on the sausages.

“There’s some empty hangars in the closet closest to the front door. Ya can hang ya stuff up there. Community laundromat, it’s closed by this time.”

“Oh, right. Thanks.”

When Anita made her way back after hanging up her clothes Ajay was moving the sausages onto a plate while one was humorously sticking out of her mouth as she chewed on it. The plate of sausages was held up towards her, accompanied by a nod to encourage Anita to have some as well. The spiced and ground meat was delicious and definitely helped to settle her stomach. It had been a while since she’d ate at the award’s ceremony.

“I need to take a shower, ya can watch TV or something, just make sure to save some of those for me ok?” Ajay broke the silence between them.

“Uh sure.”

Without another word Ajay headed off towards the bathroom. Watching TV was tempting, but Anita wanted something to help still her hands and keep her mind busy. So, she cleaned up the kitchen and stored the rest of the sausages away in the refrigerator. A few minutes later Ajay emerged from the shower shivering and dressed in a white tank top and pink shorts. It was obvious that she too wasn’t wearing any underwear, dark brown eyes had a hard time looking away at first. Anita shook her head and focused on cleaning the counter to keep her mind from derailing into dangerous thoughts. She was getting ready for bed, no one wants to wear a bra to bed.

At this point Anita was at a loss on what to do next. Should she head home? Should she stay? Did Ajay even want her to stay after that whole embarrassing moment between them? Dark brown eyes glanced at the clock. Round lips were pulled into a frown. It was already past 0400 hours. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ajay cautiously approach her and lean on a nearby counter. It was obvious that she had been looking at the clock too.

“Ya can spend the night,” Ajay shrugged, trying to feign nonchalance. “It’s really late.”

Anita doesn’t respond right away as she weighs her options. The journey back wasn’t short and only a few of the hover trams would be running right now. Not to mention she was incredibly tired. In less than 24hrs she had “died” in the Apex games, been to two parties, and had a very interesting night with Lifeline.

“Do you mind?” Anita looked over at her.

A soft smile formed on Ajay’s lips. “I’m offering it to ya.”

“Right…I um…I can sleep on the couch.”

Ajay shook her head. “Ya get the bed, I’ll take the couch.”

“It’s your place, I shouldn’t be taking your bed.”

“Ya my guest, I ain’t having ya sleeping on the couch.”

They booth fell silent for a moment, arms crossed in front of chests.

“Why don’t we both share the bed?” Anita started. “It’s big enough for the both of us, we’ll just stick to one side.”

Ajay’s face became bright for a second before eyebrows were knitted together and the smile faded from her face. “Ya sure about that?”

“I am,” Anita confirmed after a moment of hesitation.

Light hazel eyes stared into hers, searching for a lie. Eventually her expression softened. “Ya know ya can say no to me, right?”

Anita raised an eyebrow. Why had she shifted the conversation?

“What do you mean?”

“About anything,” Ajay waved her hand about. “If ya don’t want to stay, just say so and I’ll get ya home safe and sound. If ya don’t want to share the bed just say no. I know I haven’t-” she paused to take a shaky breath in before looking at her again. “I know I’ve pushed ya farther than ya have wanted twice now.”

“Ajay, look-”

She raised her hand, cutting Anita off. “Ya can always say no. No to any dates, no to any kissing, no to anything and I won’t be upset. I don’t want to hurt ya and I am going to make sure to check in with ya more so what happened tonight never happens again.”

Warmth spread through Anita’s chest as she heard those words. Her whole body relaxed as the tension in the air between them seemed to disperse. Anita took a step closer to Ajay and held her arms out wide. It only took a split second for Ajay to rush into her embrace. As they hugged, Anita softly whispered into her ear.

“Let’s go to bed. I’m exhausted.”

“Me too,” Ajay weakly chuckled.

After borrowing an unused toothbrush from Ajay and dividing the bed, the two climbed in and pulled the blankets up over them. They both laid on their sides facing each other. Only a small amount of moonlight was filtering through the blinds covering the window, yet it was enough that Anita could make out Ajay’s soft, beautiful features.

“Thank ya ‘Nita,” she paused as she considered her next words, “for staying. I really do enjoy ya company.”

A small smile formed on Anita’s lips. “I had a great time with you tonight, from the boring ceremony, to the dancing, and even to coming back here.”

Ajay let out a nervous laugh. “Really?”

“Really. Considering we were both drunk and horny, I think we handled things pretty well,” Anita shrugged.

“Drunk and horny?” Ajay chuckled and shook her head.

“Yes, drunk and horny. Well I know at least I was.”

“Oh I was pretty much gone.” The humor faded from Ajay’s voice. “I’m sorry ya had to stop me. I shouldn’t have let myself get that carried away.”

Anita reached out and placed her hand on top of Ajay’s that had been resting on the bed in the space between them.

“Hey, I’m alright. We’re alright. So, let’s get some rest, ok?”

Round lips are parted as a smile formed on her face. “Ok, good night, ‘Nita.”

“Good night, Ajay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	31. Desire's Gentle Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is explicit, for those who wish not to read that, feel free to skip to the last paragraph.

There was a change in the atmosphere when Anita woke up several hours later. Describing that shift was hard to put into words. Perhaps it was warm, like how it felt to wake up and find Ajay curled into her side. The warmth of her body, the warmth of her hand resting in the middle of her chest, the warmth of her leg partially laid over hers. Anita had been surprised to find her own arm wrapped around Ajay’s shoulders, holding her close. Close. That could be another way to describe this feeling. How that even after they had both woken up and had sought out remedies for their aching heads and full bladders, they seemed to hover around each other, not wanting to be separated for too long. Then again maybe it could be described as silence or softness. Barely any words had been exchanged between them as almost all communication had been soft looks, soft smiles, soft touches, soft kisses. And maybe the best word for the atmosphere surrounding them was desire. Anita didn’t know when or how or why they ended up back on Ajay’s bed, but here they were laying on their sides staring at each other with eyes that screamed desire. She could already feel herself caving to the wonderful feeling of Ajay’s warm hand playing with the buzzed sides of her head.

“May I kiss ya?” came Ajay’s quiet voice.

Anita didn’t even have to think about her answer. “Yes.”

The hand playing with her hair slid to the back and pulled her closer so their lips could meet in the familiar dance. It started slow and soft, but as the desire for each other began to grow they pushed deeper. Hips straddled hers, chests were pressed together, round lips sucked on hers. Curly, red hair fell around their faces like a curtain, blocking out the afternoon light and drowning them in the sweet, rich scent of Ajay’s shampoo. Ajay eventually pulled away, much to Anita’s disappointment, so eyes could look right into hers as heavy breaths escaped swollen lips. A hand reached down to trace the angle of her jaw and brush over her mouth.

“May I touch ya?”

Light hazel eyes had darted down towards her chest. Anita swallowed thickly. Did she want Ajay to touch her? To caress her body in a way no one had for years? Yes. Anita gently took Ajay’s hand and placed it on her breast, silently nodding. A soft smile formed on Ajay’s face as she rested other hand on Anita’s other breast so both hands could move together. For the moment she laid there relaxing into Ajay’s touch before her lips welcomed another breathtaking kiss. Anita’s own hands found themselves on Ajay’s hips, thumbs gently rubbing circles. She could feel the heat building down there with every shift of Ajay’s hips against her own.

Bit by bit they moved together more as hands sought out the touch of skin. Cool air rushed past Anita’s heated torso as her shirt was pulled over her head and tossed to the side. Ajay sat back on her hips, eyes drinking in the sight below her.

“Oh ‘Nita, ya so beautiful.”

Cheeks darkened. It felt so weird hearing the gorgeous woman above her say that about her. She knew she was muscular and had relatively good shape, but her body had a lot of scars.

“You think so?” Anita couldn’t help but blurt out.

A delicate chuckle drifted past Ajay’s lips. “I most certainly do.”

It was still hard to believe, yet Anita couldn’t bring herself to call Ajay a liar.

Anita breathed in sharply as hands began to touch her bare skin, massaging and stroking her softest areas to the firmest. Her own hands began to sneak under Ajay’s tank top, wanting to explore as well. Ajay let her sit up so she could pull her tank top off. Much like her face, freckles decorated Ajay’s brown skin. Anita couldn’t find the words to describe how beautiful and strong she looked, even her shy hands had trouble showing that. However, Ajay was patient, she helped to guide her actions and show how she liked to be touched. Lips met once again in an open-mouthed kiss as Ajay pressed Anita back into the mattress.

Each kiss and brush of their fingers over bare skin stirred the ache that had been biding its time since last night. Hips began to grind, building the tension between them. Ajay pulled away for a moment to make eye contact.

“Are ya doing alright ‘Nita?”

At this point Anita knew she didn’t want to turn back. She had full control over her body, her head was clear, and her mind felt ready.

“This feels amazing,” Anita breathed out, a smile forming on her lips.

Ajay smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “‘Nita?”

“Yes?”

Light hazel flickered down towards their hips for a split second. “I want ya.”

The desire was evident in both her tone and her eyes. Anita thickly swallowed. Her body begged for her to let Ajay do as she wanted. To let those hands and lips wander to areas dying for attention.

“Please?” Ajay whispered against her lips.

If there was any hesitation left in her mind, it surely crumbled right then and there.

“Yes,” Anita said before raising her head up and capturing her lips in a kiss.

Ajay smiled into the kiss, fingers raking across the buzzed sides of her head. Hands steadily made their way down Anita’s front, mercilessly teasing her until one finally slipped under the waistband of her shorts. A gasp jumped out as Anita felt one finger slide between her folds and run the length of her center.

“Ya tell me whenever ya want to stop and I’ll stop.”

For the moment she could only lay there, unsure on how to react to such a pleasant sensation. Legs shifted apart, giving Ajay easier access.

“Don’t- _unh_ -stop…” Anita managed to get out.

“I won’t,” Ajay breathed against her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

The finger continued to gently stroke her, finding those spots that made Anita tense and moan. As it slid inside of her, Ajay’s thumb began to press against that small bundle of nerves, sending a jolt of pleasure down her spine. Oh how easily Anita was getting lost with each stroke, steadily succumbing to Ajay’s ministrations. A second finger dipped into her wet center at the same time Ajay’s hand began to move faster. Anita clung to Ajay in a desperate attempt to ground herself. Fingers dug into her back as fingers thrust in and out of her. Low gasps escaped her lips as each stroke of Ajay’s thumb brought her closer and closer to the edge. Gentle kisses peppered her face while sweet words danced into her ears.

“ _A-Ajay…_ ”

The tension in her abdomen was at its breaking point, she could already feel her body start to tremble. Dark brown eyes scrunched shut as Anita threw her head back and cried out. Fingers gently continued to work her, pushing her through each wave of her orgasm until she was left shaking and gasping for breath. Ajay withdrew her hand and laid against her, lips leaving tender kisses all over her neck and jaw.

“Ya sound so pretty, ‘Nita.”

Anita was too caught in a daze to properly respond, arms held Ajay close as she buried her face in the crook of Ajay’s neck. For a moment they held each other until Ajay began to shift in her arms. A kiss to the forehead was followed by a kiss to the lips. A kiss to the lips was followed by a kiss in the valley of her breasts. Dark brown eyes could only watch as Ajay continued down her front until Ajay had pressed her lips just above the waistband of her shorts.

“I want ya,” Ajay stated as her light hazel eyes stared straight into hers.

Anita swallowed, her body was still tingling from her first. Was she ready for this? Anita didn’t even fully consider the question before she was making a move to take off her shorts. Hands grabbed her wrists and gently pinned them to the mattress.

“Can I take them off?”

A nod was given. Fingers curled under the waistband of her shorts and easily worked them off her muscular legs. Cheeks darkened as cool air rushed past her heated and wet center, letting her know how much of a mess she was. For a moment Ajay sat back on her heels and stared at her; light hazel eyes trailing up and down her naked body. Anita felt her cheeks darken.

“Have I told ya how breathtaking it is to see ya like this?” Ajay whispered.

Hands slid up her thighs, making the muscles underneath tense.

“No clothing, no barriers, just the beautiful woman ya are.”

Anita felt like she should respond, but was unable to do anything other than watch as Ajay wrapped her arms around Anita’s thighs and positioned herself between her legs.

“Remember, ya can always tell me to stop.”

All it took was for one broad lick across her center for her to know that she didn’t want Ajay to stop. Light hazel eyes looked right into hers as Ajay slowly licked her again, making her hips jerk. A kiss was placed on the inside of her right thigh, then on her left. Cool air brushed over her center as Ajay continued to tease her. Lips were pulled upwards into a smirk when she left out a soft frustrated moan. Ajay pushed forward, finally indulging Anita in what she was aching for. Anita closed her eyes as those sparks of pleasure raced up her body. Hands tangled themselves in Ajay’s wavy red hair, pulling her close, encouraging the sweet torture. Each dip of her tongue inside of her to every flick of her sensitive nub was making Anita lose her grip on reality all over again. Hips rocked with Ajay’s movements, desperately seeking out the release that was rapidly approaching. Ajay was more than happy to oblige to Anita’s soft pleading, hitting her in all the right spots until she was shaking and crying out again.

Legs fell away as Anita recovered her breath. By the time she reopened her eyes, she was greeted by a smiling Ajay hovering over her.

“How ya doing ‘Nita?”

A low chuckle was let out while a lopsided smile formed on her lips. “Wonderful.”

Ajay’s smile turned into a confident grin.

“That good huh?”

Anita scoffed and rolled her eyes, unable to deny it. “That good.”

Dark brown eyes wandered over Ajay’s tempting body. Hands reached up to gently massage Ajay’s breasts. Anita knew she wanted to pleasure Ajay as well, but she was unsure on how to go about it. Her years of inactivity in bed and little experience to begin with made her feel inadequate to attempt such a thing right after what Ajay had done.

“What ya thinking about?”

“I-I uh…” Anita swallowed and looked away.

Hands were placed over hers, encouraging her to pinch and massage Ajay’s breasts a little harder. Even though she got to hear the sweet moan that slipped out from between Ajay’s lips, it shook her confidence even more. Anita couldn’t even do this right.

“Look at me.”

Anita hesitated for a long second before she did.

“Ya can tell me what’s on ya mind, I won’t judge.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“I…I don’t want to be the only one having all the fun here, but…I’m…I’m…it’s been a while.”

Instead of the anticipated heavy sigh or look of frustration, Ajay softly smiled.

“Who said ya were having all the fun?” an eyebrow was raised up. “It’s quite fun to dote on ya,” Ajay finished with a wink.

Anita’s cheeks burned, her body sinking into the bed in attempts to hide her embarrassment.

“Don’t stress about it ‘Nita, there’s nothing wrong with ya getting a little guidance. I want ya to touch me.”

“Ok,” she slowly nodded, her face a red as it could get.

Ajay smiled and kissed her. “Let’s do this; ya sit up against the headboard and I’m gonna sit between ya legs, ok?”

“Got it.”

They shifted a couple of pillows around so Anita could sit back against a soft surface. Before sitting down, Ajay sweetly invited Anita to take off her shorts, letting her get a full view of her wonderfully shaped ass. Anita couldn’t help but run her hands over it and place a chaste kiss to her left cheek. Ajay giggle and sat down, taking the shorts from Anita’s hand and tossing them to the side. There was no doubt in her mind that Ajay was aching for release as it wasn’t hard to notice how wet the shorts were. Ajay leaned back, resting against Anita’s front. She then took hold of Anita’s hands, guiding them once again to her breasts. For a few moments Anita tested the waters, each suggestion she followed was always rewarded with wonderful sounds or compliments. However, it didn’t take long before Ajay was encouraging her to move her hands south. Anita hooked her legs on the inside of Ajay’s thighs, effortlessly opening her up so she could run two fingers over Ajay’s heated center.

Shy movements became bolder as Ajay’s guiding words steadily turned into breathy moans. Teeth and lips attacked Ajay’s neck as Anita slid one finger in and out of her. Once she was confident with her rhythm, she pressed her thumb against Ajay’s sensitive nub, providing the much needed relief. Anita held Ajay closer with her one arm as she kissed her neck. With some encouragement and reassurance, a second finger was eventually added. As it slid in, Ajay arched against her front and gasped out. Such sounds and pleas that left Ajay’s lips made a beautiful melody that drove Anita crazy with desire. Every movement against her body, the feel of her fingers deep inside her wet center, they way Ajay dug her fingers into her hair and thigh. All of it. Anita pushed faster and harder with every shaky whisper until she felt Ajay’s walls tighten and her body spasm in her arms. They way Ajay cried her name out as she came hit Anita in a way she never thought it would.

Fingers gently worked to bring Ajay down from her high. She lay limply against Anita’s chest, breathing heavily.

“I’ve wanted ya to touch me so bad,” came the light sigh.

Anita pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Really?”

“Really.”

She moved to Ajay’s other cheek before letting out a low hum. “Can I keep touching you?”

“Please do.”

Anita smiled as she held Ajay close to her and kissed the back of her shoulder.

It was something else entirely, spending hours tangled together with Ajay in a passionate dance. Even though they were both exhausted by the end of it, Anita couldn’t help but feel like she was on cloud 9. She wanted to remember this feeling forever, being together with Ajay in such an intimate and beautiful way. As they were laying down to cuddle for a brief moment before making some food, Anita couldn’t help but stare into those sparkling, light hazel eyes for a little while longer. Ajay was curled up against her side, her finger rubbing idle circles in the middle of her chest with Anita’s arm holding her close. This woman had certainly stolen her breath and possibly more. With a shared kiss and a soft rest well exchanged, the two drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	32. After the High

Waking up with Ajay the second time made her face burn at the same time a soft warmth filled her chest. It had been a long time since she had woken up with someone in this kind of state. Under the sheets Ajay’s naked body was laying halfway on top of her equally naked self. A leg slipped between hers, a hand resting on the top of her chest, and Ajay’s face tucked under her chin. Their chests rose and fell together as the next breath of air was pulled in and let out. Anita carefully raised her right hand up to tuck a some of Ajay’s wavy hair behind her ear. Fingers lightly brushed across her round, freckled cheek before settling on the back of her tattooed shoulder. Dark brown eyes looked up at the ceiling, not fully believing what they had done not too long ago. It wasn’t just the sex, but being this vulnerable with someone. She wasn’t wearing any armor, she didn’t have a gun nearby, and her communication device was definitely out of reach. Yet here she was completely relaxed while cuddling with Ajay in her apartment.

Anita took a deep breath and slowly let it out, breaking their synchronized breathing. She then tipped her head down so she could place a soft kiss on Ajay’s forehead. A sleepy mumble tumbled past lips, but she remained fast asleep. For a moment Anita laid there enjoying herself until her bladder started to call out a little too loud. Getting out from under Ajay without disturbing her proved to be a difficult task, mainly because she kept on adjusting so she could remain snuggled on top of her. Eventually Anita was forced to gently apply some of her grappling knowledge to escape and make it to the bathroom just in time.

Hot water rushed out of the faucet, washing away the soapy suds covering her hands. With one twist of her hand the water was turned off and with another movement she had located a towel to dry them with. Dark brown eyes were inadvertently drawn to her own reflection in the large mirror behind the sink. Anita stood tall as she looked at herself. Dozens of little dark marks covered her neck and front. Evidence of where Ajay had paid considerable attention. There was little doubt in Anita’s mind that there wasn’t a part on her body that Ajay hadn’t touched in one way or another. Cheeks burned as a few memories played through her mind. She let a hand slowly slide down her front, passing over many of the marks. A loose smile began to form on her lips. For the first time she felt-

“Disgusting.”

Anita pulled back in shock at the angry voice. Eyes widened as they looked into the mirror and saw a face she hadn’t seen in years. Freshly pressed and well decorated dress blues fit the strong frame like a glove. The sides of the head were shaved close, leaving a tiny fuzz of hair while the black curls on top were barely long enough to form the usual ringlets. An angular jaw was held high as cold, dark brown eyes looked down at her.

“Look at what you’ve become, how far you’ve fallen.”

It was herself, her younger and prouder self. She didn’t even have the faint scars on her face, ones that Anita had gotten during her time trapped here in the outlands. Anita couldn’t help but wish to become that version of herself again. Strong, fearless, always on top of whatever was happening.

“You’re a disgrace,” the reflection sneered.

“What?” Anita couldn’t believe her ears.

Cold eyes narrowed. “You heard me soldier. You’re a fucking disgrace.”

A scoff jumped past her lips. “And how would that be?”

“Do I really need to point it out? You’re looking at yourself thinking those are like some medal of honor.” A hand was motioned to the marks on her body.

“I can see why you might be a little jealous of these, you barely got the chance to do anything-”

“You’ve been consorting with the enemy!”

“It’s not like that-”

“And how is it not like that?” the reflection jumped at her. “Last time I checked the Frontier Corps regarded any IMC personnel as a threat and were best left for dead.”

“Things are different, Ajay isn’t-”

“Ajay Che is part of the Frontier Corps and has been playing the long game in getting you to open up.”

That made Anita pause, eyebrows furrowed together. “What the hell are you even talking about?”

Arms were folded across her chest. “First she got you to open up and betray the IMC, and now she’s gotten you to open up everything else to her.”

“Ok, ok,” Anita waved her hands back and forth. “First of all, I did not betray the IMC, second of all, she didn’t trick me or anything. This, what we did together, was genuine.”

Cold eyes narrowed, burning with anger. “You gave up information regarding your squad AND the location to a massive supply cache that then got looted and sold to fund the Frontier Corps. How many militia factions now have IMC weaponry and supplies all thanks to you? That alone is enough to get you court marshalled and dishonorably discharged.”

She barely got the chance to open her mouth before her reflection continued.

“And in case you’ve forgotten, she’s wanted to bed you for a long time, and instead of forcing it she wore you down piece by piece just like she did to get that information out of you.”

“It’s not like that! She-”

“She cares? You really are pathetic if you believe that. A shameful piece of traitorous shit. Did you even hear yourself? You were whimpering like a bitch in heat as she fucked you.”

Anita shook her head as she put her hands up and began to back away. “I’m done with this, I’m not going to stand here and listen to any more of your shit.”

She had turned around and was about to head back to the bedroom when the voice continued.

“No wonder Jackson hasn’t contacted you.”

Her stomach dropped as her body froze, a cold chill crawling up her spine.

“Kind of weird right?”

Anita didn’t need to turn around to see the smug expression plastered all over the reflection’s face. The muscles on the sides of her face twitched as she tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat. Teeth were gritted together so hard it was starting to hurt.

“Don’t you think that he would have by now? Your face is plastered wherever the Apex Games is marketed. It’s no secret who you are. How could he not know where you are or how to get a message to you?”

Short breaths were pulled in and out as Anita desperately tried to move, dreading what was going to be said next.

“Jackson isn’t reaching out to you because he can’t, it’s because he’s too ashamed to call you his sister and wants nothing to do with you.”

Hands reached back to brace on the edge of the counter and steady her hunched form. The next breath that was taken sounded more like a wheeze as Anita tried to recover from that blow.

“I don’t blame him, you betrayed the IMC, sold yourself to the Syndicate using the skills given to you by the IMC, and have been fucking around with the very same woman who turned you traitor in the first place.”

Anita shook her head while she turned around to face the reflection, trying to hold back the tears that were starting to form.

“You know I’m right. Deep down you’ve been too much of a coward to admit to what you’ve done.”

“I-I had no choice if I was ever to get back home,” Anita got out. “My squad was gone, there was no contact, no backup was coming.”

“You could have died with your dignity intact instead of spilling your guts,” the reflection sneered. “Yet you held true to your spineless ways. We both know why everyone in your squad perished except for you.”

“No…no!” Hands were pressed over her ears in an attempt to shut her out.

However, it didn’t matter, the angry voice continued just as clear as ever.

“You hightailed it out of there as soon as things started to go south. You saved your own skin instead of trying to help save any others.”

Dark brown eyes were shut tight as Anita continued to shake her head. “No…no…we were ambushed…there were so many of them…so much blood…I did everything I could…”

Images flashed through her mind, the bodies of her squad strewn all over the rubble, bullets cutting through the air, everything shaking as mortars struck the ground, magazine after magazine of return fire, the oncoming threat closing in, orders barked into her earpiece.

“You ran and left them to die, then you let Jackson slip through your fingers. How could you? He would have never let you go.”

Tears were running down her cheeks now. “I didn’t! I held on as long and as tightly as I could!”

“You are unfit for your rank, and a disgrace to Williams family name and legacy.”

“I’m not…I swear…” Anita’s weak voice attempted to counter.

“Silence!”

Anita’s mouth snapped shut, dark brown eyes opening to look down into the sink, watching as her tears dripped into it.

“It’s time you prioritized your objectives solider. Locate Lieutenant Jackson Williams and report back to your commanding officer at Gridiron.” A deafening silence filled the air for a moment. “No more distractions, no more excuses. You’ve been dismissed.”

With that the reflection disappeared. Anita’s stomach twisted and rolled, forcing her to jerk forward and dry heave. Over and over, she retched and gaged until she was left trembling and gasping for air with a mess of spittle dripping down her chin. Her vice-like grip on the bathroom counter was the only thing keeping her from falling to the floor. Uneven breaths were pulled in and out as she tried in vain to calm down. Everything she had said was true. She was a traitor to the IMC, she failed her squad, she lost Jackson, and she had caved to her urges. A glint of metal right next to her left hand caught her eye. It was her dog tags, still sitting there since she had taken them off for her shower the night before. With considerable effort Anita’s shaking hands were able to secure them around her neck. The urgency to leave began to knock at her brain. There wasn’t any more time to waste, she had to get out of here now. First things first, she needed her clothes. Dark brown eyes cast a glance towards the bedroom. There was a feeling in the back of her head to wake Ajay and tell her she was leaving, but the voice in her head shouted louder, ordering her leave while she was still asleep. Anita gritted her teeth and bolted to the living room closet where her suit had been hung up.

The stench of alcohol, sweat, and more coming from her clothes nearly made her gag. Lips were pulled back into a grimace as she began to dress. At least the repulsive marks on her body would be mostly covered. Anita couldn’t bear to look at them, she needed to get rid of them as soon as possible. A shiver raced down her spine, with each article of clothing she put on she only felt dirtier. That night was full of terrible decisions. She should have never gone to that party. She should have never gotten drunk. She should have never come home with Ajay. She should have never stayed the night.

“‘Nita?” a timid, concerned voice called out to her.

Shit.

Hands paused for a brief second as they worked to tuck in her dress shirt. Anita took a shaky breath and forced her hands to keep going, making sure not look back at the source of the voice.

“‘Nita, what’s going on?” Ajay tried again. “I heard ya talking, did something happen?”

With each step closer Ajay took, Anita’s movements became more frantic. Fine linens slid over each other as she tugged on her suit jacket. Why was it getting so hard to breathe? Why was there this huge lump in her throat?

“Please what’s going on? Do ya need to leave for something?”

A hand was rested on her arm.

“Don’t touch me!” Anita harshly whispered as she pulled away from the contact.

“I-I’m sorry.” A half step back was taken. “Are ya ok? Ya really worrying me right now ‘Nita.”

“Stop calling me that.”

Ajay fell silent. As Anita looked around for her shoes, she caught a glimpse of Ajay in the corner of her eye. For a split second she turned to face Ajay. That proved to be yet another mistake. Ajay was wearing nothing except for the black Apex t-shirt Anita had on the night before. It practically went to her mid-thigh with how big it was on her. Messy, wavy hair spilled over and behind her shoulders, with one side partially tucked behind an ear. Light hazel eyes stared into hers, hurt and confusion reflected in them as tears were building in the corners.

Anita instantly became hyper aware of the tears running down her own face. They were swiftly wiped away as Anita desperately searched for her shoes. Hands checked over her pockets; keys, wallet, and communication device were all accounted for. Dark brown eyes finally located the dress shoes sitting by the door.

“Did I do something?” it was a low hoarse whisper.

Feet were slipped in, not bothering to untie the laces and not caring if it wasn’t the best thing to do to those fancy shoes.

“Please…say something…”

Anita shook her head as she tried yet again to swallow the lump in her throat. Any thought to try and explain was crowded out by the voice screaming at her about how worthless she was and how urgently she had to get out of there. Her hand went for the doorknob.

“Don’t leave like this,” Ajay softly begged.

She could feel her right behind her, as close as she could get without touching her. Fingers wrapped around the metal knob while her other hand released the lock. With a firm tug the door was opened, but before Anita could take one step forward Ajay tightly hugged her from behind, pressing her face between her shoulder blades.

“I’m sorry, I just…please Anita, don’t…”

Black curly hair was scrunched up as Anita braced her forehead against the side of the door. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks and trembling lips. Ajay shifted as her hands worked to coax Anita to turn so they were facing each other. Fingers brushed away a few of her tears before holding Anita’s face in her warm hands. Anita leaned into the touch ever so slightly, a sob jumping past her lips.

“Let’s just talk ok?”

Eyelids blinked rapidly to try and clear her vision. The voice roared again ordering her to leave. Anita winced, dark brown eyes closing for a moment. Slowly they opened back up and looked at Ajay’s tear streaked face. If she didn’t break away now, she would end up compounding her mistakes. Words she had to say weighed heavily on her tongue. Anita swallowed.

“This was a mistake,” came the low whisper.

Ajay flinched, hands falling from her face ever so slightly. Hurt light hazel eyes stared up at her silently begging her to deny that statement. This would be her only chance to leave. Anita swiftly backed up, pulling the door shut with her. The instant the bolt clicked into place she turned and ran.

Feet raced through the night shrouded streets of Solace, as she pushed on towards her apartment. Anita paid no heed to the burn in the muscles or her labored breathing, not stopping for a second. Somehow she made it to her place without anyone trying to stop or talk to her. Perhaps her panicked, disheveled, and smelly state had helped to deter any would be attempts. Anita stumbled into her bathroom and frantically began to dig through the cabinet for a syringe. She had to have one in here, she just had to. Eyes landed on the familiar red and white object. Hands instantly grabbed it and shot it into her wrist. Anita’s back hit the wall and slid down as the medicine was injected into her system. Bit by bit she could feel the marks fading away. A gasping sob was let out as she tossed the empty syringe to the side. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and for the first time that day Anita didn’t fight them. Dark brown eyes were scrunched shut as yet another shuddering breath shook her frame. Why was she crying? Wasn’t she supposed to be relieved that she made it home and got rid of the marks? She had corrected her mistake and could now focus on her objectives. Yet why did everything hurt so much? Why did it feel like there was this hole in her chest?

Anita wasn’t sure how long she sat there on the floor crying pathetically, spiraling deeper and deeper into a pit of self-loathing and despair. Eventually she was left physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. Only her putrid stench motivated her to get off her ass and into the shower. Clothes were thrown on to the counter as she stepped into the steaming shower. Soap was violently scrubbed all over with her worn washcloth until Anita felt like she had removed every last trace of the past 24hrs. Dark brown eyes avoided the mirror in the bathroom, going instead to her clothes. The urge to just burn the suit nearly won out, but Anita’s logic kept her from doing so. It was an expensive suit, replacing them would be a waste of resources that could have gone towards her objectives. Unfortunately, it was once again past the time that a dry cleaner would be open, so she was left having to wait for tomorrow. As she hung up the suit, she noticed then pulled out her vibrating communication device.

17 Messages.

4 Missed Calls.

3 voicemails.

All from Ajay.

The device in her hand shook for a second.

18 Messages now.

Anita sighed heavily, silenced her notifications, and set her communication device on the kitchen counter. Facing Ajay right now was out of the question, she needed to think and she needed to work. Anita pulled out her portable computer and sat down in her stiff chair, it was time she redoubled her efforts to try and find Jackson, even if he didn’t want to see her.

A crate was lifted up and harshly dropped on the table, spare parts rattling around and starling her D.O.C. The light blue optic looked up at her as it timidly beeped. Ajay ignored it as she began to remove the contents, looking for items that she could sell or trade. Things were tossed onto her table with just as much concern as she had set the crate down. Her D.O.C. made another distressed beep. A string of curses was let out as some thin metal sliced her hand, instantly drawing blood. Ajay turned to get healing from her drone only to find it hiding in its charging port.

“Get over here,” came the firm command.

The D.O.C. continued to cower in its port, forcing her to walk all the way over. Droplets of blood leaked over the edges of her palm and splattered to the floor, creating yet another mess she would have to clean up.

“Ya fully charged,” Ajay grumbled as she held out her hand.

One hesitant cord was extended towards her, healing up the deep cut in seconds. A few more choice words were muttered as Ajay washed the blood off her hands and threw away the ruined latex glove. She then got to work cleaning up all the drops of red on the floor. Light hazel eyes glanced back at her drone. She was to blame for its current behavior. Ajay knew how terrified it was of her when she was truly pissed off, but she didn’t care right now. All of her sadness and hurt from the first day or so since Anita had run off had turned into a bitter rage. She had tried to reach out and to be understanding. She had backed off and given space when it was obvious that Anita wasn’t going to respond right away. Hell she spent hours reviewing what they had done and how she had acted to make sure there wasn’t something she had done to cause it. Yet all of that had amounted to nothing as not a sound or sight had been seen of Anita since. At almost a week of being avoided Ajay’s temper was at its boiling point. Fresh gloves were snapped over her hands before she resumed sorting through the crate.

“It was a mistake huh?” Ajay spoke to no one. “When did ya figure that out? When I was knuckle deep inside ya or when ya face was buried in my pussy?”

The broken circuit board in her hand was thrown at the floor. Useless.

“Ya couldn’t even be bothered explain ya self, ya just ran off and hid.” Another item clattered against the metal table. “Hid like a fucking coward. Ya hear me ‘Nita! Ya a fucking coward!”

Ajay exhaled harshly through her nose and focused on the next piece of hardware in her hands. This one could actually be sold for something.

“Thickskulled, selfish…” Ajay’s breathing picked up as her chest tightened, tears burning in the corners of her eyes. “Ya will regret this,” the words were lowly mumbled out. “Nobody fucks with Ajay Che!” She stood tall and shouted, her voice echoing around in the large lab. “NOBODY!”

Hands latched onto the sides of the crate as she desperately tried to steady her breathing and remain in control. A sob jumped past her round lips while hot tears began to fall from her eyes.

“Why…why wouldn’t ya just tell me what was going on? Do ya still not trust me? I thought…”

Ajay shook her head and let out an angry yell, replacing her aching hurt with acidic anger. She was done with waiting, if Anita wasn’t going to speak up, she was going to find her and make her.

The masked individual leaned back in their chair, shifting their focus from her face to the knife in their hands. A long silence invaded the room. Lifeline shifted her weight from one leg to the other, arms folded tightly across her chest. Off to the side Artur ruffled their feathers and jumped from one of its perches to another.

“You vant me to track down Bangalore?” Bloodhound finally spoke up.

“Yeah.”

“So you can speak vith her?”

“Yeah, no one has seen her around since the last games, not even at the training complex.”

“I’m assuming the usual communication methods have yielded nothing?” Bloodhound looked back up at her.

“Obviously,” Lifeline tersely stated.

“Have you considered she doesn’t vish to talk to you?”

Lifeline pinched the bridge of her nose as she exhaled sharply, doing her best to keep her temper in check. “Are ya going to accept my offer or not?”

They let out a low hum as they put away their knife. “I understand your reasonings for coming to me for help, but I vill not insert myself into this interpersonal conflict. Have patience, Bangalore vill respond vhen she’s ready to.”

That was the last thing Lifeline wanted to hear. Every centimeter of her wanted to keep pushing until they accepted to look for Bangalore, but out of respect, she shoved it all down and accepted the rejection.

“Alright, I’ll just find her myself,” Lifeline huffed as she turned on her heel and left their apartment.

Hacking into the Syndicate’s server would have been the most direct way to find Bangalore’s apartment address, but that would have required additional help. She was good with technology, just not that good. Asking anyone from the Frontier Corps was completely out of question, there was no telling what they would do with Bangalore’s address. As far as legends went, her only viable option was Wattson, and enlisting Wattson to do that was a two-edged sword. There was no doubt in her mind that the electrical engineer would have gotten her the information she needed, but at the risk of word getting out to the other legends, namely Gibraltar. The big man had already asked her a couple of times on if she had seen Bangalore and if she might know why the soldier was suddenly very absent from the training grounds. Lifeline had handled those conversations easily enough, but them finding out that she was trying to locate Bangalore’s apartment would make them pry into the situation far deeper than she wanted them to.

Light hazel eyes narrowed as they scanned over the digital map of Solace. A marker was set at the location of her lab, and another at her apartment. From what she knew of Bangalore’s traveling habits, it took her a half of an hour to get from Bangalore’s apartment to Lifeline’s lab. A radius was set at the longest distance a hover tram could cover in that time frame and a perimeter scribed. While the resulting circle was considerably smaller area than all of solace, she needed to narrow it even further. The next piece of information she knew was that the rent had to be cheaper than the discounted rate the Legends’ got at the Syndicate’s apartment complex. Bit by bit, additional parts of solace were blocked out while others were highlighted.

After a couple of hours Lifeline leaned back to see how many areas Bangalore could be living in. At least 30… Round lips were tugged down into a frown. Going through all of these to try and find her would take forever; she might as well prepare to only see Bangalore again at the next games. There had to be some way to eliminate at least half of these. Lifeline scoured her memory for any businesses or landmarks that Bangalore might have mentioned. Her frown deepened. Aside from their dates, Bangalore tended to live a very boring and routine life. She’d train at the complex, go grocery shopping, and then get kicked out of any place she tried to eat at. Heading to bars and pubs just to see if Bangalore was banned from them was barely good enough for a backup plan. Lifeline needed something more. She typed away, highlighting all of the convenience stores in one color, groceries and markets in another, and all bars and restaurants in a third. Knowing Bangalore, she would try to live within walking distance of at least a grocer and a convenience store. Eyebrows were furrowed as she looked over the various colors, trying to identify the areas that held a higher chance of Bangalore living there. Light hazel eyes blinked once as a memory jumped to the forefront of her mind. Bangalore standing in her kitchen, unloading groceries from a plastic bag onto her counter.

A plastic bag.

From a grocery store that Bangalore typically went to.

That might have a logo or name on it.

Lifeline quickly saved her work and made a dash for the door.

Getting to her apartment took what felt like forever. With a final click of the lock sliding back, Lifeline went straight for her kitchen. Hands dug around under the sink grabbing at the plastic bags she stored down there, silently thanking herself for never outright throwing these bags away. It had to be one of the ones on the top, that was if she hadn’t used it already for something else. Several bags were held up and inspected. So far nothing different from her usual bags. That was until she spotted one that had a slightly different color. A triumphant smile spread across her face as she looked at the logo and name printed on both sides of the bag.

“Harvey’s Market.”

A chain grocery store, but definitely wasn’t one she went to. Judging by the condition of the bag it was fairly new, so the chances that it was the one Bangalore had used were high. After quickly checking through the rest of her bags and determining that there were no other outliers, Lifeline made the agonizingly slow trip back to her lab. Fingers rapidly typed away plugging in the new information into her map. Three locations for Harvey’s Market popped up within the perimeter. The one in the north was easily crossed out as it wasn’t close to any of the cheaper apartments, thus leaving one in the west and one in the south. Light hazel eyes burned with anger and determination.

“Ya better be ready ‘Nita, hiding time is over.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should Bangalore have stayed? Would she have been able to explain to Lifeline what was going on? Is Lifeline's anger justified?


	33. Breaking the Silence

It was a toss up between the two Harvey’s Markets, either one of them could be the one Bangalore went to as they were both next to cheap housing and a convenience store. Eventually Lifeline decided that she would case out the one in the west first. She packed her backpack with a variety of supplies and made sure to wear something that would make it hard to recognize her outright. D.O.C. was given a soft rub to the top of its shell before she told it to watch over her lab while she was gone. A worried beep was let out in response, prompting Lifeline to kneel down and give the drone a hug. She left promising that she would return safely by nightfall. In minutes Lifeline was on a hover tram and was heading to the west.

The plan was relatively simple, ask the employees at the market to see if any of them had noticed someone that fit Anita’s general description all while keeping an eye out herself. Chances were very low that Bangalore would be grocery shopping on the same day, but Lifeline didn’t want to risk accidentally missing her.

After twenty minutes the tram had arrived at the station closest to the market. Light hazel eyes darted around, trying to spot a familiar article of clothing or pattern of movement. She knew Bangalore had a tendency to wear her gear in public, however that was back when she was being jumped constantly. Lifeline couldn’t help but wonder if Bangalore still had to deal with that. Lifeline internally shook her head and focused. Now was not the time to be wondering how Bangalore was doing, it was time to get answers from her on why she had run away with no explanation.

The walk to the grocery store took another seven minutes making it just past opening time when she arrived. Lifeline checked over the building. One entry and exit, and a number of surveillance cameras. If she needed to she could pay someone to let her sift through the footage to see if Bangalore showed up. The idea of watching a week’s worth of film was not a pleasant one, so she hoped that the employees would have some good information for her. Lifeline walked inside, grabbed a pack of gum, then headed for the first check out.

A disgruntled sigh was let out as Lifeline stepped back into her lab. She spent the whole day at the market inquiring of every employee there and watching the entrance like a hawk. No sign or word of Bangalore or anyone that bore her resemblance. If the other market didn’t have any better success, then it might be best to get ready to sift through security tape. Lifeline tossed her backpack on the floor next to her futon and sat down on the semi-soft bed. Tomorrow she would go the south.

The familiar mechanical whir drew her attention to the side where her D.O.C. was hovering over to greet her. She welcomed the little drone into her arms and hugged it tightly.

“Ya keep a good watch on everything?”

An affirmative beep was let out.

“I knew I could trust ya, and Penelope,” Lifeline added as she glanced up into the darkened room.

The blue optic looked at her as a series of beeps were let out.

“I know ya want to come with me, but then people would know who I am. Got to keep some cover.”

It slowly nodded as it made a few sad beeps.

“Don’t worry, this won’t last forever.”

Arms let go of the D.O.C. as she laid down. Round lips formed a smile as her drone settled down next to her and went into sleep mode.

It was tempting to just get up and head straight for the Harvey’s Market in the south, but Lifeline forced herself to take the time to shower, eat, and put herself together. Chances were greater that this was the one Bangalore frequented and she wanted to be ready. After a twenty-five minute hover tram ride and a ten minute walk Lifeline was standing in front of the south Harvey’s Market. Once again there was only one entrance with security cameras positioned around it. Lifeline stepped inside, grabbed a pack of gum, and headed for the first cashier station. The first two employees she talked to had nothing to say about the picture, but the third and fourth hesitated before admitting that they weren’t sure if they had ever seen someone who looked like that come in. It wasn’t much, but it was better than the outright no’s that she got at the other place. Lifeline positioned herself to the side of the entrance where she could watch everyone that came and went.

As she stood there leaning casually against a couple of steel barrels, Lifeline couldn’t help but try and give Bangalore one last chance to speak up. Fingers pulled out her communication device and navigated to her messages. Just seeing her string of unanswered messages made her simmering anger flare up again. Lifeline quickly put the device away without bothering to send another message. Bangalore had her chance.

Light hazel eyes darted back and forth between the figures trickling in and out of the market. A grumble was let out as Lifeline shifted around to keep the blood circulating through her legs instead of it just gathering in her feet. Nighttime had already fallen over the city and the market’s closing hours were drawing near. Lifeline sighed and cursed her luck. She could try staking this place out one more day while she got access to security footage. Eyes drifted closed for a second as she rubbed her face. Two more hours and then she would head home.

By the last hour Lifeline just wanted to call it quits and head back to maybe get a hot meal and a drink. While she technically wasn’t doing much in comparison to training, it was still very tiring. Light hazel eyes passed over the couple of people heading towards the market. Lips quirked downwards as she noticed a taller, hooded figure that was moving noticeably faster than everyone else. She didn’t catch their face, but the stride was unmistakable. Lifeline’s heart rate picked up, energy surging through her lethargic body. A second later she slipped into the market and tracked the hooded figure. From a distance she casually perused the isles while watching the figure go from the produce section to the meat section, then straight to the check out. Lifeline put her items back one by one and exited a few people behind the hooded figure. Step by step she closed the distance between them. Eyes marked an alleyway just off to their side that would be perfect. Lifeline dashed forward, shoved them sideways into the alleyway, ducked a bag of groceries that was swung at her head, and pushed them against the wall. Plastic rustled as the groceries were dropped to the ground, freeing up the person’s hands. Lifeline blocked the first punch.

“Ya better not try to hit me again, Anita,” came her low warning. Part of her wanted it to escalate to a fight, she could greatly use the catharsis of landing a few solid hits on the woman that had hurt her so.

The second fist stopped centimeters from the side of her face. Wide, dark brown eyes stared down into angry, light hazel eyes ones.

“A-Ajay?” Bangalore’s voice shook with surprise and a hint of fear.

Good.

Lifeline adjusted her grip on the front of Bangalore’s hoodie, pulling her forward for a split second just to shove her back against the wall again. Feet were raised up onto their tippy toes so her lips were right next to Bangalore’s ear.

“Ya fucked up big time, Anita. No one, I repeat no one, who gets invited into my bed and ghosts me afterwards gets away with it. Ya going to explain ya self.” Lifeline pressed her knuckles harder against Bangalore’s chest as she struggled to keep her rage contained. “Why don’t we head to ya place for a bit of privacy? I have no doubt it’s a lot closer than mine is.” She punctuated the sentence with a cruel smile that made Bangalore gulp. Lifeline leaned in closer, her lips practically brushing against Bangalore’s earlobe. “And don’t even think about trying to lose me. I found ya here with a little effort, rooting ya out of the hole ya been hiding in won’t take much more.”

A nod was given in response.

Lifeline stepped back, slowly releasing her hold on Bangalore. Light hazel eyes burned as she watched Bangalore crouch down to gather her fallen groceries. Oh how she wanted to let loose her anger for a split second and crash her fists against Bangalore’s face until she was bleeding and begging for her forgiveness. Lifeline wanted her to hurt, just like she had been for well over a week now. However, she kept her shaking fists pinned to her sides. Striking out at Bangalore was only going to make things worse. A controlled breath was let out as Lifeline rolled her shoulders back. Bangalore stood up, her groceries back in her hands. Dark brown eyes glanced at her for a split second.

“It’s just a ten minute walk from here,” came the low voice.

Lifeline nodded and motioned for her to lead on.

The walk to Bangalore’s apartment was silent. As they moved through the streets and buildings, Lifeline noticed how often Bangalore would check over her shoulder or pause to peer around corners. Were things still this bad for Bangalore? Or was it just a habit that came from the need to have no one figure out where she lived? They eventually entered an old neighborhood and headed for a small apartment building. It wasn’t run down, but it definitely wasn’t nice. Bangalore stopped at a door, unlocked it, and held it open for her. Lifeline mumbled a thank you as she stepped into the apartment. Booted feet came to a stop shortly after as light hazel eyes began to look around. Did Bangalore actually live here? Aside from a small computer set up on a simple table with a chair in the living room, there was nothing. No decorations, no furniture, no rugs, no posters, nothing, just a bare apartment. How did Bangalore live like this? Lifeline would have gone mad if she had to live in such a depressing place. The lock clicked behind her and Bangalore quickly moved to put the groceries away. A small hint of relief flowed through Lifeline as she saw that there were things in the cupboards for cooking and such.

“Would you like something to drink? I have water and…that’s it…” Bangalore’s voice trailed off as she checked through her cupboards.

“I’m not thirsty,” Lifeline stated as she dropped her backpack by the door and folded her arms across her chest.

“Right.”

A heavy silence floated in the air between them as they stood there facing each other. Mostly facing each other, Bangalore wouldn’t quite meet her gaze. For several more moments Lifeline gave Bangalore the chance to speak up. She didn’t.

“Well? Ya going to explain ya self?” Lifeline snapped as her patience ran out. “Explain why one moment we’re fucking each other’s brains out, then the next ya running away saying it was a mistake?!”

A long pause drifted between them, making Lifeline angrier by the second.

“We’re on opposite sides, competitors, it’s not a good idea to get involved,” Bangalore said, only looking at her for a second before glancing away.

“Bullshit.”

“What?” Bangalore pulled back.

“Bullshit,” Lifeline repeated as she took a step closer. “Let’s try it again shall we? Why’d ya run off and fucking refuse to answer a single damn message?”

Bangalore pinched the bridge of her nose. “I was losing my focus, getting distracted-”

“Bullshit.” Lifeline took another step.

“The hell Ajay?!”

“Try again, my bullshit meter is still off the charts.”

Dark brown eyes glared at light hazel ones. At least she was finally maintaining eye contact.

“It’s not a-”

“Bullshit!” Another step.

“Fucking hell! Let me finish my-”

“BULLSHIT!” Lifeline yelled, closing the distance even more.

Bangalore tried to back up but was quickly stopped by the kitchen counter. Hands reached back to brace against it. Her chest rose and fall as her breathing was picking up. Lifeline didn’t care, she kept going.

“What’s ya next damn excuse ya going to try?”

“I’m not making ex-”

“Ya going to keep lying to my face?” Lifeline shook her head, now only one step away from Bangalore.

Bangalore opened her mouth.

“Bullshit!” Lifeline cut her off before she could even say anything. Her gloved hand shot out to firmly grab Bangalore by the jaw and pull her forward a little. “Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit! When are ya going to cut it out and tell me the truth?!”

Fire lit behind those dark brown eyes. Lifeline’s hand was smacked away as Bangalore stood to her full height.

“I’M ASHAMED!”

The strength of that statement startled the both of them. Bangalore breathed out heavily, her shoulders sinking.

“I’m ashamed…” she repeated in a much weaker tone.

Lifeline stepped back a little. Now that wasn’t a lie.

“I’m ashamed of what I’ve become, of what I’ve done and failed to do.” Bangalore clung to the counter as if it were the only thing holding her up.

Light hazel eyes watched, waiting for her to continue.

“I got my squad killed, I lost my brother, I sold myself to the Syndicate, I…” her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “I caved to your pressure…again.”

An eyebrow was raised up at that last bit. “What do ya mean by that?”

“First it was the information, now it was you just wanting to bed me.” Bangalore adverted her eyes as she said it.

Lifeline stood there in shock for a moment. She felt like she had been slapped.

“Is that what ya think I wanted this whole time? Just to fuck ya?” It was hard to keep her tone down, she wanted to yell.

“You did make it pretty clear before that you wanted to.”

“That…argh!” Lifeline pinched the bridge of her nose. She wanted to sock Bangalore so hard right now, but she had to refrain. “Yeah I did wanna fuck ya back when ya first showed up in the games. In case ya didn’t notice Anita, ya easy on the eyes, and I like pretty women. If I wanted to just bed ya I would have rented a hotel room and convinced ya to join me for a heated night.” Lifeline made sure she had eye contact with Bangalore before continuing with a softer tone. “But that’s not why I wanted to have sex with ya. I thought it was a natural progression to all of the dates and the kissing and becoming closer we had been doing. I wanted to share that intimacy with ya. I thought ya did too.”

Lifeline had to blink back the tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes. Bangalore stood there silently; her eyes glued to the floor.

“Was it really such a mistake? Were we not on the same page?”

Again silence.

A heavy sigh was let out as Lifeline shook her head. “Ya hurting me Anita. Ya hurt me by running off and not trying to talk, ya hurt me by ignoring and avoiding me for far too fucking long, and ya hurting me right now. Say something dammit!”

“I shouldn’t be doing this,” came her low voice. “I should be looking for my brother and working to win each games so I have the money to get us home.”

Lifeline felt her chest ache at Bangalore’s avoidance to address her hurt. However, she had to work with what she got to try and figure out what was going on inside of that difficult woman’s head.

“And how long is that going to take? Years? Decades? Is the trip back to Gridiron even possible?”

“It is possible, just there’s a low chance of making it there alive and it requires a lot of money, I’ve barely made a dent in the total with what I have in my savings.”

“So what ya going to just work ya ass off for all those years, living like this, shutting ya self out from everyone for the small chance of seeing ya family again!? What about ya life? What about enjoying ya self here and making friends?”

“I don’t deserve that! I’m a traitor! A soldier that let down her squad, her family, and her commanding officers. The only thing I deserve is to get back to Gridiron to accept whatever punishment they see fit to give me!” Bangalore pushed back, tears building in her dark brown eyes.

“Ya don’t owe the IMC anything! They sent ya out here and abandoned ya! Ya free to make ya own life what ya want!” Lifeline threw her hands out wide.

“I don’t deserve it.”

“Bullshit!”

Bangalore looked up at her, clearly annoyed.

“Yes, it’s bullshit that ya don’t think ya deserve a chance to be happy or enjoy what remains of ya life here. Doesn’t mean ya have to stop saving or looking for ya brother, but it means ya get some damn furniture or a fucking plant to make this place look livable!” A quick breath was pulled in and let out to cool her anger. “There are people who want to be ya friend, who want to be there for ya, and who want to be close to ya,” Lifeline finished softly as she reached out to cup Bangalore’s cheek. “But do ya even want that? Has everything we’ve done together meant nothing to ya?”

Wide dark brown eyes stared into light hazel ones as her hand slowly began to slide off of Bangalore’s cheek. A hand caught it right as it began to fall. With one swift step forward Bangalore wrapped her arms around Lifeline and pulled her close.

“No.”

Lifeline buried her face in Bangalore’s shoulder, her tears finally streaming down her face.

“No,” the word was repeated.

Hands slowly rubbed up and down her back.

“I-I can’t adequately describe how it felt to share your bed with you and to wake up with you. I…I haven’t felt like that in so long.”

Lifeline let out a sob, her fist weakly hitting Bangalore’s chest from where her arms were trapped between their bodies.

“Ya hurt me…”

Arms held her tighter.

“Ya left…”

“I did.”

“Ya couldn’t even tell me ya needed space!” Lifeline hit her chest again. “I woke up alone after that wonderful day together and ya were running away. Ya hurt me! Ya hurt me Anita!” Her fist thumped against Bangalore’s chest several more times.

“I’m sorry Ajay, I should have said something and never left you like that.”

Lifeline pushed her hands down so she could hold onto Bangalore while she let out all of her tears of sadness, pain, and anger. For several minutes they stood there hugging each other until Lifeline’s breath finally evened out. She tugged on Bangalore’s hoodie and began to head into the living room.

“Need to sit down, my feet are killing me.”

Boots were kicked off. Bangalore had pulled the single chair out for her, but Lifeline shook her head.

“Can I just sit in ya lap?”

A dusting of red formed on brown cheeks, but Bangalore nodded. She sat down on the floor with her back against the wall. Lifeline plopped down in her lap sideways and rested the side of her head underneath Bangalore’s chin. Arms automatically wrapped around her providing some much needed comfort.

“Were we on the same page? Or was it a mistake to have sex, or even to have this relationship?” Lifeline looked up at Bangalore’s uncertain face.

“I thought I was ready…turns out I wasn’t and it just sent me spiraling.”

“What made ya spiral so bad?”

“I…there’s this guilt…and shame for being with you and enjoying your company. That I’m only making my betrayal worse if I choose to. You were the one I caved to and betrayed the IMC. I’d never broken before, not in training, not in other times I had been interrogated…I always held out.”

“There’s no way ya wouldn’t have cracked. I was horrible to ya and ya knew no one was coming. Ya did what ya needed to do in order to survive. So ya could one day find ya brother, and one day make ya way back home.”

Lifeline looked up into Bangalore’s eyes, it was easy to see the pain mirrored there.

“I know…but I can’t ignore how it complicates how I feel about you.”

“Ya need time to process it and make ya own decision,” Lifeline’s words were as hollow as she felt. She had really thought that they were doing so well together. It had been foolish to believe that.

Arms held her tighter as Bangalore pressed the side of her face against Lifeline’s.

“This doesn’t mean I regret having sex with you Ajay. I was vulnerable with you and you made me feel safe and beautiful. I’ll never forget that time we shared together.”

Lifeline felt like crying all over again. “I care about ya Anita, a whole damn lot.” She wrapped her arms around Bangalore’s neck. “I’ll give ya the space to sort ya shit out, just please don’t take forever to make ya decision, ok?”

“I’ll do my best not to.”

Lifeline nodded, and then let out a heavy sigh. “I’m exhausted.”

“Yeah…me too. Are you hungry? I could make something.”

Lifeline shook her head. “I just want to rest.”

“You can use my futon, I can sleep-”

“I think we’re both past the stage of not sharing a bed Anita,” Lifeline cut her off.

Bangalore’s cheeks darkened.

“That is unless you’re not comfortable sharing it with me.”

“N-no, I am, I just didn’t want to impose.”

“Ya not, besides, ya comfortable to sleep with.”

The blush on Bangalore’s face got even darker.

One of the few things Lifeline didn’t have packed in her backpack was a set of pajamas. Thankfully Bangalore had a collection of Apex merchandise that Lifeline could slip into after showering. Both Bangalore’s bathroom and bedroom were empty except for the bare essentials. Lifeline knew the IMC soldiers were used to sardine can sleeping quarters and not being able to personalize things, but she couldn’t help wonder if Bangalore’s empty living space was impacting her mental state. She would talk to her about it tomorrow.

Getting into the futon together was a little awkward at first. They kept on bumping each other as they struggled to situate themselves on the one-person futon. Eventually they caved to the light fits of laugher and reddened cheeks before relaxing into each other. Bangalore ended up on her back with her arm around Lifeline who was laying halfway on top of her. Lifeline liked this spot. She could feel Bangalore breathing and listen to the rhythm of her heart.

“Thank you, Ajay for finding me and making me talk,” Bangalore spoke up. “I don’t know how long it would have taken for me to get my head out of my ass to reach out to you.”

Lifeline let out a singular laugh. “Ya welcome. Now ya know not to ever do that again.”

Bangalore let out a slightly nervous chuckle. “I won’t.”

“Good.”

A quiet pause drifted between them for a moment.

“Good night Ajay.”

“Good night Anita.”

Light hazel eyes drifted closed as a soft smile formed on her lips.


	34. Steps Taken Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I am back to this story!! Bangalore week and busy life got in the way.

It was either the hunger pains or the feeling of another body in her futon that woke her. Anita rubbed her face as she sat up, blinking several times until her vision cleared. The sight of the familiar red hair and figure reminded her of who had spent the night at her place. Ajay was already awake and sitting between her legs with her back to Anita. Their conversation from the night before and the intense wave of emotions they expressed hit her again making her groan. She still felt drained from that, even with the several hours of sleep she had. Ajay glanced over her shoulder and their eyes met for a moment. Her eyes were still a bit puffy from all of the crying she did last night and Anita had no doubt that hers were as well.

“Ya room is real depressing,” Ajay said as she looked around it. “How do ya stand it?”

Anita took a moment to look around the bare room. Aside from the futon they were sleeping on there was only the clothing and gear stored away in the closet. No decorations, no furniture, not even a rug on the hardwood floor.

“Nonessentials cost money,” she shrugged.

Ajay simply sighed and shook her head. “Everything ya own could be packed up in a few minutes. Ya not even trying to make a life for ya self here,”

“There wasn’t anything here I wanted to stay for, I need the money to find my brother and get home.”

“Ya know it will take ya years to get that money, and ya still don’t even try.”

Round lips were pulled down into a frown. “I didn’t have a reason to.”

“Obviously.”

The bitterness in Ajay’s tone made Anita flinch. She wanted to reach out and hold her and offer some words of comfort, but she didn’t even know what to say or if she should touch Ajay. Hands remained planted as Anita’s sides, to scared to reach out to the woman who was so close, yet so far away. It seemed that Ajay decided she was done with just sitting there as she pushed the blankets off of them and stood up. A shiver raced up Anita’s spine at the sudden loss in warmth.

“You hungry for any breakfast?” Anita tried, her gurgling stomach reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in quite some time.

A half-hearted shrug was given in response as Ajay headed for the bathroom.

“I’ll make something while you get ready,” Anita called after her.

The bathroom door was shut and locked. Anita’s shoulders fell as a noticeable pang shot through her chest. For a moment she didn’t even move, any motivation she had to make breakfast had been shot by the indifferent response. A whole minute went by before Anita shook herself out of her stupor and got to her feet. No, she wasn’t going to go down that route and act selfishly. Ajay had been badly hurt by her actions and had spent who knows how long tracking her down to talk when she couldn’t even respond to a simple message. It was understandable that Ajay would be acting a little differently. The least Anita could do was make her a solid breakfast. As she got to work cutting up some onions and peppers, she heard the shower turn on. Once those were tender the beaten eggs were poured in and bits of cured leviathan meat were tossed in to top it off. Ajay didn’t have any allergies and liked a wide variety of foods, so she was bound to enjoy the omelet. At least that’s what Anita was hoping. Round lips were pulled down as Anita worked to flip the omelet. She really had been a jackass to not say anything all that time. A deep breath was pulled in and slowly let out.

Ajay exited the bathroom fully dressed in her clothes from yesterday just as Anita was dishing out generous portions of the omelet onto two plates.

“Breakfast is ready,” Anita tried, a nervous half smile on her lips.

Ajay silently accepted the plate, not even bothering to look up at her. “Thanks…”

Anita glanced around, quickly realizing that she didn’t even have a table for them to sit at. She normally ate by her computer or sitting on the floor. Meals never lasted long for her so she had yet again saw no need to spend the money, not even on a simple card table.

“Let me bring you the chair,” she said as she made a move to set down her plate.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ajay waved off as she leaned against the counter and began to eat.

Anita watched Ajay for a moment before deciding to lean against the counter as well. She wanted to try and say something but nothing was coming together in her head so she focused on her own food. The silence surrounding them as they ate was painful to say the least. She had never seen Ajay this down and it was her fault. After only eating about half of what was on her plate, Ajay set it down.

“I’m going to head home now. Thanks for letting me crash here and for the food. It was good.”

“Of course, it’s the least I could do.”

Ajay headed for the door, slipping her backpack on along the way. Anita awkwardly stood there, unsure on if she should offer any help or food for the road or maybe even some water. She really was at a loss for what to do right now. When they were dating they would be trading a kiss goodbye, but now… What were they even right now? They hadn’t officially broken up, but things were tense to say the least.

“I just want to know, so we are on the same page,” the words came tumbling out when Ajay reached for the door, “what are we right now?”

Light hazel eyes closed for a second as Ajay pinched the bridge of her nose. “I meant what I said last night, I’m giving ya space to figure ya self out.”

“Right,” Anita nodded, her shoulders falling ever so slightly.

“It don’t mean we can’t talk or be around each other, just no dates or physical affection.”

“Understood.”

So a break then. Wouldn’t be the first break Anita had in a relationship, but that one had only been a precursor to them officially ending their relationship. Round lips were pulled down into a frown, her emotions were a mess right now.

“I can’t be in a one-sided relationship; I need to know ya want to be with me too.”

Dark brown eyes looked up to meet light hazel ones. “I’m sorry Ajay, I should have stayed. I should have talked to you.”

“But ya didn’t,” Ajay shrugged.

Anita nodded, struggling to swallow the bitter pill that had been dished to her. Ajay opened the door.

“See ya around the training complex Bangalore,” she tossed over her shoulder before stepping out and shutting the door behind her.

Anita winced. Ajay only ever called her that in the arena or when reporters were around. Her back hit the lower cupboards as she slid down to the floor. Arms were crossed and rested on the top of her knees; she leaned forward so she could set her chin on them.

“I really did fuck up.”

Somewhere in the recesses of her mind she always knew that she had fucked up, she had just kept that thought shoved to the back while she focused on finding her brother. Now she couldn’t keep running and had to face the consequences for her actions.

“I should have tried to say something and explain what was going on. If I could do it over again I would-”

The rest of her words fell into silence as that voice in her mind spoke up. No, she would do the exact same thing even if she was given a do-over. She wouldn’t be able to win against that side of herself. Lips were pulled down into a frown as her eyebrows knitted together. The two polarizing sides of her were just as prevalent as ever. One wanted to chase after Ajay and tell her how much she meant to her, while the other was quite pleased with the fact they were officially on a break. If only they could both shut up and let her think.

Attempting to sit there and sort herself only resulted in aggravating her as neither side budged an inch. Anita eventually got up to put away the leftovers and clean the kitchen. She needed an outlet for all of the turmoil burning inside of her. Ajay’s comment about seeing her around the firing range came back to her. It had been almost two weeks since she had gone. Besides, what better outlet was there than lifting some weights or doing a few sparring matches? In no time was Anita heading off towards the training complex.

“Welcome Ms. Che,” Penelope’s voice rang out as the large doors opened up to her.

Ajay managed a half-hearted wave in response to her AI. Rushed beeps accompanied the little drone zipping over to her. Ajay caught D.O.C. and held it closely, letting herself fall back into a chair as it settled in her arms.

“Sorry for not coming back last night and worrying ya. Had business to take care of,” she sighed as she rubbed the top of its dome.

A string of curious beeps were let out.

“She just got to make her own decision now, nothing I can really do about it.” A scoff was let out. “Seems the harder I try to the worse it gets.”

The light blue optic looked up at her.

“Ya wouldn’t happen to know how to heal a broken heart now would ya?”

D.O.C. looked down and let out a low sound.

“Ah don’t worry about it, I would have been surprised if ya did.”

Ajay leaned back into the chair, absentmindedly rubbing her D.O.C. while her mind replayed the events at Bangalore’s apartment. Sharing the futon had been a mistake. Waking up so close to Bangalore only made her heart ache for what they could have had. Even Bangalore making her breakfast and them eating together was a painful. Light hazel eyes were closed. Ajay didn’t want to lose Bangalore, yet she might have to accept that could very well happen. Arms tightened their hold on her D.O.C.

“Whatever her choice…I got to respect it,” she softly murmured.

Her mind began to play out a few scenarios, unfortunately choosing to depict Bangalore rejecting her more than Bangalore expressing the desire to be together. Lips were pulled to the side in a wince. Ajay shook her head, to try and help herself get rid of those thoughts before she stared to break down. Thankfully a vibration in her pocket caught her attention and snapped the cycle. Ajay let out a sigh of relief as she pulled out her communication device and checked to see what the notification was. One message, and it wasn’t from Bangalore. Fingers swiftly unlocked the device and pulled it up.

Owen – A big storm is about to hit the seaside cities and we need all the help we can get. You feeling up to being a part of the response team?

Just what Lifeline needed, an adrenaline pumping, feel good distraction. She didn’t even need to think about her response.

Ajay Che – Count me and D.O.C. in. Send me the details?

Owen – Glad to have you on board, sending them to you now.

A smirk formed on Lifeline’s lips as she looked over the information. It had been a while since she had been out with the Frontier Corps helping others, this was going to be good for her.

“Gotta put all that money I raised to good use right?” she chuckled as she rubbed the top of her drone. “Ya ready for some sea salt and sand?”

D.O.C. perked up and let out a string of excited beeps while it waved its little feet up and down.

“I know I can always count on ya,” Ajay smiled as she hugged the drone close to her.

Few things were as effective as the burn of physical exertion to drown out the noise in her head. The rope whistled through the air twice in between each rapid tap of her feet against the mat as she lightly jumped. Even breaths were pulled in and let out as Bangalore pushed herself, attempting to reach the desired number in her head. When she hit it a few moments later, she gracefully landed and slowed the rotation of the rope so it didn’t whip her legs. One minute of rest and then she was going to try for a higher number. Dark brown eyes scanned the gym not finding a familiar face until she noticed Gibraltar walking up to her. The big man cheerily waved.

“Good to see you sista! Been a little bit yeah?”

Bangalore wasn’t sure if she should be worried or touched that he noticed her absence. Hands were clasped together in a brief, friendly greeting.

“Someone’s got to give you a run for your money in the next games.”

A deep laugh burst from his chest. “And what if we’re on the same team next time?”

“Then we’ll take it together easy.”

Bangalore’s timer rang out, signaling the need to start her next set.

“Mind if I join you?” Gibraltar held up his own rope.

“Why not?” Bangalore shrugged.

In a second the two were jumping in place while their ropes whistled through the air. Once they finished those sets, Gibraltar continued to stick with Bangalore, joining her for the rest of her workout. It was fun exercising with him and eye opening to see just how much weight he could move. While jokes and casual conversation were tossed back and forth, Bangalore couldn’t help but feel that it was only a matter of time before Gibraltar asked why she had been gone for so long. As they were doing some stretching at the end, Bangalore’s suspicions were confirmed.

“Can’t help but wonder why you were gone so long, normally you’re here the day or two after the games.”

Bangalore shrugged. “Decided to do a bit of touring, wanted a change of scenery that’s all.”

Gibraltar hummed as he slowly nodded his head. His caring brown eyes locked with hers. “Is that all?”

“Yeah that’s all,” Bangalore lied.

It looked as if he wanted to say more and call her out, but decided against it at the last moment. “Well I’m glad you are back sista, missed seeing you around and sparing with you!” He smiled as he thumped her on the back.

“I’ll take you up on that sparring offer in just a couple of hours if you want.”

“Oh no! This is it for me today, got to get ready for an autograph and photo op session in just a few hours.”

“You could always not show.”

A deep laugh was let out. “Nah, they’d be thinking I was picking up bad habits from you. Besides, I always enjoy meeting and talking to the little kids.”

Bangalore chuckled and shook her head. “You got a big heart, no wonder they like you so much.”

“Don’t need a big heart, just a kind and understanding one,” Gibraltar finished as he stood up. “Going to have a BBQ at my place tomorrow at 6pm, you should come!”

The sudden invitation caught her off guard. She almost asked why he was inviting her, but caught herself and switched up her responding question. “Who all is going to be there?”

“A few other legends, it’s a small little get together. I provide the meat and everyone else brings something to share. Got any family recipes you want to show off?”

Bangalore managed a smile, the mention of her family and things they would cook hit her with a pang of loneliness. “I’ll see if I do.”

“Great, I’ll be seeing you tomorrow!” With that Gibraltar headed for the locker rooms.

It took some debating back and forth, but Bangalore eventually decided to attend the BBQ and bring along a simple yet flavorful salad like the one’s her mother would make. She had no idea if Lifeline had been invited, so she reached out, only for Lifeline to inform her that she was flying out in a few hours for a job with the Frontier Corps.

Lifeline – Eat some of Gibby’s ribs for me will ya?

Bangalore – Will do, you take care and be safe out there, ok?

Lifeline – I always am :P

Bangalore frowned as she looked over the messages they had traded back and forth for the umpteenth time that day. Maybe she should stay home, Lifeline was usually her connection to these kinds of outings with the other legends. Going without her would feel wrong; Lifeline not only knew the other legends better, but she was the one who always made sure she was still included in conversations. Gibraltar was good at that too, but he would be busy hosting. Bangalore shoved her nervousness to the side and went anyways, Lifeline was sure to ask about it the next time they talked and if she ended up not going, she could already hear the disappointment in Lifeline’s voice.

_“Ya not even trying.”_

It was a small gathering of legends, thankfully all ones she got along with for the most part. The food was delicious, Gibraltar was a wizard with a grill and smoker just like her brothers were. Bangalore avoided the rest of that train of thought, thinking about her family right now and how much she missed them would only spoil the evening. So she tried to engage with the other legends and have fun. For the most part she was successful, but it was obvious that it would have been easier if Lifeline was there. An ache settled in her chest at that thought, one that was much harder to shake. In the end Bangalore made sure to take a few pictures to send to Lifeline, and headed out before she started to withdraw too much. Gibraltar thanked her for coming and gave her a big hug before letting her leave.

Lights clicked on as Bangalore stepped into her apartment. Having just come from Gibraltar’s nicely furnished and decorated place, the emptiness of hers stood out more than usual.

_“Ya room is real depressing.”_

For the moment all she could do was stand there as those words continued to cycle through her mind. Was this really what she wanted? Was it worth living like this? Bangalore groaned and rubbed her face. There wasn’t time for distractions or self pity, she needed to spend at least a couple of hours tonight digging into her leads about Jackson before going to bed. Once again she shoved those painful statements to the side, but that didn’t silence how her footsteps almost echoed in the hollow place.

Lifeline’s short response to the party pictures came the next morning as she was very busy taking care of the people who had gotten hurt by the storm. Bangalore was just happy Lifeline had responded. Later on in the day a picture message came through from Lifeline. It was of her and D.O.C. sitting down for a brief break. Lifeline looked exhausted, but happy, and seeing that made Bangalore’s chest fill with a bit of warmth. She stewed back and forth on how to respond to it, until she eventually sent something only to wish a few moments later that she hadn’t gone with that one. Bangalore locked her device and shoved it under her pillow. Next time she would do better.

Days rolled by. Bangalore had a new routine now that better balanced her training and searching for her brother. However, even with that improvement, she still was at a complete loss on what to do regarding Lifeline. It didn’t matter how she tried to talk or think out the two opposing sides in her mind, they never could be at peace with each other. Lifeline’s physical absence was starting to have more of an effect on her. It was strange, before she was perfectly fine being alone and not really interacting with anyone outside of what was necessary, but now? It weighed on her, it crept into her dreams, it pushed memories of her times with Lifeline to the front of her mind, torturing her with them. More than once that one day she had spent tangled in Lifeline’s bed with her replayed in her mind leaving her aching for just a phantom of that affection. However, with each time she wanted to cave and admit how much she wanted to go back to how things were before she had fucked up, that side of her always made its voice heard. Then it would be those waves of guilt and shame washing over her and bringing her down. Her failures, her betrayal, her continued disloyalty because of those thoughts. She could never escape it.

Days turned into a couple of weeks. Lifeline was still out with the Frontier Corps, but things were looking up in the area she had been volunteering in. Bangalore was both waiting for and dreading the news of her return. Her answer to how she felt about Lifeline was as elusive as eating gelatin with a fork.

Clarity came at the most unexpected moment while she was washing her dishes. All of the negativity that was pointed out by the side that was opposed to dating Lifeline was mostly about her own personal failures. Granted Lifeline was involved with some of those events, but her relationship now with Lifeline was completely different. That one side could never seem to bring up any reason other than continued disloyalty to the IMC for why she shouldn’t be with Lifeline. Bangalore stood there, hands frozen halfway through cleaning a pan, when she finally realized what she needed to do.

“I need to go back,” she said to no one.

Her heartrate picked up at the just the thought of going to those places.

“I need to back to where it all started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed. Things are going to start wrapping up in the next few chapters!  
> Thanks again for all of your support!


	35. A Visit with the Past

Renting an aircraft for the journey was manageable. After filling out all of the paperwork, paying the fees, and reassuring once again that yes, she had clocked over 1,000 hours as a pilot on this type of craft, Bangalore was on her way out of the hangar. It had been a couple of years since she had been in the pilot’s seat, but everything came back to her as her muscles moved from memory. Anxiety bubbled up in her stomach for a moment while she navigated out of the populated city and out into the canyons. The last time she had been behind the console of an aircraft was when she had crash landed here about two years ago. Images and sounds of the damaged aircraft diving towards the ground jumped to the forefront of her mind. A steadying breath was pulled in and out. Bangalore pushed those memories to the side and relaxed into the seat. She had this handled, there was no need to worry about a crash landing this time. Dark brown eyes drifted to the autopilot controls and then to her loaded G7 scout she had brought with her. If any flyers decided to make any trouble, she would take care of them.

Jet streams pushed against the ground as she gently landed the aircraft on the rock covered ground. Once the landing sequence was complete, she retreated to the back and began to remove her usual tunic, armor, and wraps, slowly revealing the lightly armored IMC suit she was wearing underneath. Bangalore held her chin high as she looked at herself in the small mirror in the aircraft’s bathroom. Fingers ran through freshly trimmed curls and played with the close shave on the sides of her head. She almost looked exactly like she did those two years ago. There were a few differences though. Aside from the new scars on her face, Bangalore had out of habit made the trademark cuts into the shaved sides while trimming her hair down to a more protocol length. Shoulders were rolled back and arms shifted around as she tried to stretch out her uniform a little more. It being tighter than she had remembered had been a surprise to her. Bangalore suspected that was either to its lack of being worn all the time or some of her muscle gain due to her rigorous training for the games. A frown pulled at her lips, couldn’t be the muscle gain, she had already been in top form when she was in the IMC and had been merely working to maintain it with slight alterations to better suit the games. Hands ran over the uniform as Bangalore gave one last glance at her appearance. Fingers paused at the spots that she had patched up. While she had done an exceptional job of repairing it, her drill sergeant in boot camp had seen to it that they all knew how to fix their gear perfectly, the large gash that had been in her right side was still noticeable to her. Anyone else wouldn’t notice.

Lifeline might notice.

Bangalore shook her head to dispel the thoughts regarding the combat medic. Today was about herself, not Lifeline. Bangalore slung her G7 scout over her shoulder, checked her p2020 in its holster, and patted the spot where her jump kit should have been. A sigh was let out. That was one piece of equipment she still wished she had. While she got a jump kit in the games, it only served to soften falls and didn’t provide the extra mobility she had been used to in the IMC. Her fist struck the button to open up the back of the aircraft so she could disembark. Bangalore stepped out onto the ground and looked at the large opening in the side of the small mountain. The supply cache hadn’t changed too much over the two years, but there were a few more panels of metal missing and a good layer of dirt that had been blown in. Footsteps echoed in the large man-made cavern. Dark brown eyes took in every detail piece by piece. Shadows of the past moved about, the dozens of Frontier Corps volunteers working to empty this place of everything they could find. Bangalore didn’t want to look at the support pillar she had been tied to for a whole day, nor did she want to look at the corner she had slept in for a few weeks.

There had been a time shortly after Lifeline had left her unconscious by the crash site that Bangalore had made her way back to the supply cache. Every IMC location always had secret stashes of supplies tucked behind obscure panels. She had come for that along with the shelter the structure provided. While the one remaining secret stash didn’t have any gun or ammunition, it had some food, water, and medical supplies. Life savers to say the least.

Boots echoed in the empty place as Bangalore slowly made her way over to that corner. Eyes looked down at the memory of herself curled into ball and shivering under a tattered blanket.

“You were so angry,” quiet words drifted past her lips. “Filled with a constant rage against those that had left us in this situation. Oh how you wished to make them suffer like we had.” Bangalore glanced around the supply cache once again. “You thought so many times of how we could have used those supplies to get home, but we both know that none of those ideas would have worked. Selling all of this by ourselves was sure to take forever and it wouldn’t be long before a group followed us back and took everything by force. There was no way we could have repaired the aircraft, or paid anyone to, and none of the small aircrafts in here would have lasted the journey home. We would have needed someone with connections, someone we could trust to do anything with all of these supplies. But…we didn’t and there was nothing to do about it.”

Bangalore let out a heavy sigh as she turned and walked towards that support pillar. The bloodied and beaten memory of herself strained to look up at her, fighting to hold onto her consciousness. If there wasn’t so much dirt, maybe she might even still see her droplets of blood on the floor. Lips were pressed into a line while she debated on what to say next to try and make peace with her past. Laughter and jeers began to fill her ears as her body remembered how it felt to be treated like a punching bag. Dark brown eyes were shut tight, Bangalore fighting to shove those memories into the back of her mind. No comfort or peace could be made with that, just acknowledgement of how much it hurt and how it made her resent those that had extorted her and were in the Frontier Corps. They got everything they had wanted and she wasn’t a threat in any way, there hadn’t been a need to hurt her more. Hands began to tremble as her chest tightened, restricting her airflow. For a few moments Bangalore struggled to contain the buried rage still burning inside of her.

While she had been making her way towards the populated cities on Solace, Bangalore had run into two members from the Frontier Corps. She hadn’t killed them, no, but she had let her anger lose and beaten the shit out of them. Their bloodied and broken bodies begged her to stop to which she only did after knocking them both unconscious. Bangalore had then stolen what supplies she needed from them before continuing on. There had been a moment of vindication and satisfaction, especially since what she had stolen were IMC issued supplies anyway, but it didn’t last long. The fact that she didn’t know for certain that those two had been part of the ones that hard hurt her left a sour taste in her mouth. She had only perpetuated the hurt and hate while not getting any actual relief from her rage.

Bangalore put her hands on top of her head and forced herself to take deep calming breaths. Not even “killing” Lifeline in the games or beating her up in the sparring ring had ever brought that permanent relief. Revenge didn’t help her heal, but maybe forgiveness could. Bangalore’s breathing finally settled down as the tightness in her chest faded away. While she was inclined to truly forgive Lifeline for what she had done, there was someone else Bangalore needed to forgive first. She pivoted on her heel and headed for the rented aircraft sitting outside of the empty supply cache.

Finding the next location was a little harder since she didn’t have the coordinates. However, eventually she spotted the scars in the land and the familiar geographical and building structures nearby. It was of no surprise to her that the aircraft was gone. Picked and scavenged by those in need of what it offered until it was no more. Dark brown eyes looked over the open grassy area. It began to shift and change in her mind’s eye. Broken structures, dirt and stone flying into the air, rapid gunfire, pained cries, and the clunk of the approaching titans. She could feel her heart beating in her chest as her jump kit propelled her across a segment of war-torn wall.

“You knew it was futile to try and finish the mission. Half of our squad was killed in the first few seconds of the ambush. But you had still fought until you had to call for the retreat.”

A titan had crashed through part of the wall right behind her, its massive metal foot crushing one of her squad mates while the turret gun began to cut through the others that were still with her. She barely managed to slide through a gap in another building with a few bullets coming a little too close for comfort, biting into the armor she wore and tearing off a side of her helmet. The jump kit propelled her through the air and allowed her to rapidly zig zag between buildings. Only once she had a second to breathe did she realize that she was all alone.

“You had wanted to go back and see if you could help what remained of your squad, but you knew that if you delayed, Jackson’s position would be compromised and then there would be no chance to escape.” Bangalore held herself. “There wasn’t anything else you could have done. You were severely outnumbered, outgunned, and outplayed. Going back only meant certain death.”

Making it to the aircraft had been another death-defying feat. While bullets and debris had removed the remainder of her helmet and most of her armor, when she landed in the hull of the aircraft, she was relatively unscathed. She had been removing her armor when the memory started to skip about. There had been some playful banter exchanged regarding Nana’s red velvet cake as their craft started to cruise at a higher altitude, probably an attempt to cope with the ugly reality of what had happened to the rest of her squad. Then whatever respite they had gotten was suddenly crushed and before she knew it, she was clinging to Jackson’s hand and calling out his name.

Bangalore crouched down and ran her hand over one of the deep grooves cut into the ground, now covered with tall grass like everywhere else. She could still feel that jarring impact and the sight of the debris flying into her vision before everything went black. Dark brown eyes were closed as she tried to recall the segment of time from when she had her grip on Jackson’s hand to when she had taken control of the failing aircraft.

Nothing.

Tears burned in the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed.

“You held on. I know you did. You fought against all of the forces pulling him out for as long as you could.” Bangalore looked down at her hands then clasped them together as if she were holding Jackson’s hand. “We aren’t going to give up, we are going to find him.” A sad chuckle drifted past her lips. “Maybe we will get to meet his new family as well. He always wanted to be a dad.”

For a few more moments Bangalore remained at that location, letting herself process the emotions running through her. The hope from a few of her leads regarding Jackson was certainly helping her stay together right now. She had considered asking Gibraltar to come with her just in case, but had ultimately rejected the idea. A deep breath was pulled in and let out before she dared to stand up and look in the direction of the abandoned buildings.

Booted feet moved forward, brushing through the tall grass. Knots formed in her stomach with each step that drew her closer and closer to that place. It would be her first time returning there ever since she had been held captive inside. Not even the possibility of forgotten supplies had been worth stepping into that place. It felt like an odd dream crossing the threshold and walking through the chain link fence to come face to face with her broken self. Those pained, dark brown eyes looked right into hers. Oh how she had wished she had died that night to the bitter cold; had she done so she would have never betrayed the IMC. Bangalore closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Maybe she should have at least told someone she was here just in case. It took a few moments, but she was finally able to look herself in the eyes again. Eyebrows were raised up in surprise at what she found burning behind all of the pain and misery.

Fight.

“You wanted to live.”

The fire in her memories eyes grew.

“After everything that was the one thing you truly wanted. We gave up that information and cooperated so we had a better chance to survive. And we did.” Anger slowly bubbled up in Bangalore’s chest as that memory of herself began to regard her with the same contempt and scorn her reflection had.

“There was nothing wrong with what we did! If we wanted to survive it was our only option. Stop haunting me and making me feel like this!” Teeth were gritted for a moment while Bangalore worked to keep her breathing steady. “It’s done and in the past. Let me enjoy what life I still have left. I don’t want to live in isolation hating myself for this! I want friends, I want a place that maybe looks a little more like a home, I want…” Bangalore’s words trailed off as the images of Lifeline smiling at her, laughing with her, and kissing her drifted to the front of her mind. “What point was any of it if I’m just miserable and alone?”

_That’s the point, you don’t deserve any of that._

“NO!” Bangalore fought back against that voice. “I do deserve it! I will find my brother and I will make it home! However, until those things happen, I’m going to let myself enjoy more of my life. And you can take whatever objections you have and shove it! I’m done with feeling guilty for the choices we made.”

The silence surrounding Bangalore and the memory of herself was deafening. For several long moments they just stared at each other, both holding firm to their positions. Eventually the memory bowed her head and began to fade away.

_Our guilt will always be a part of you._

“I know, but I choose to forgive myself and work to one day be free from it.”

A low chuckle echoed in her mind. _Good luck…_

The memory of herself fully disappeared, leaving Bangalore alone in that room. Dark brown eyes stared at the wall and metal loop she had been tied to for those horrid days. A single tear was wiped away with her gloved hand. With a quick movement, Bangalore pivoted on the balls of her feet and left the building before any other memories could start to resurface.

Returning the rented aircraft took longer than she had wished, she was already exhausted from the day and just wanted to go lay down. Finally, after every centimeter of the craft had been inspected and cleared, Bangalore was free to go.

Gear, clothing, and uniform were put away. As she showered, she began to plan out a few changes that wouldn’t be too hard to make. While she still didn’t like the idea of dipping into her precious savings, it would pay off in the long run. Bangalore worked to dry herself off and slip into her night clothes. Maybe she could talk to Gibraltar tomorrow about how to go about getting one of the apartments in the legend housing.

“What a day,” Bangalore sighed as she laid down on her futon and rubbed her face with her hands.

There was still a lot she needed to work through, but she felt like she had made some significant progress. Only time would tell. Bangalore pulled out her communication device and checked for any notifications. There weren’t any, not even a message from Lifeline. A small bit of disappointment crept up from that, but Bangalore shrugged it off. The combat medic was probably up to her ears in work. Tomorrow she would reach out and maybe send Lifeline something that would put a smile on her face. The device was locked and put away. With one last sigh Bangalore closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	36. Small Steps Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of your patience for this next chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!

The rougher feeling of the worn towel rubbed against Lifeline’s face as she dried off. Hands then reached up towards her buns and proceeded to undo them. The towel then worked to dry her wet, wavy hair as much as possible before it was hung around her neck. Lifeline walked farther into the large tent where all of the beds for the volunteers were kept. Thankfully it had only been a light rain, and not another torrential downpour. Things were finally looking up in the area. Most of the water had drained away and they had been working almost nonstop to clear out all of the debris. Any injured or sick individuals were always brought to her or one of the other doctors. Lifeline had refilled the healing serum in her D.O.C. two times already in the three weeks she had been here. Light hazel eyes wandered over to the drone as it sat in its charging station. A soft smile formed on her round lips. Lifeline gave her D.O.C. an affectionate rub on the top of its dome.

“Ya doing great.”

She sat down on a simple metal chair, not wanting to get her bed damp. For a moment she closed her eyes and relaxed into the chair, enjoying not being on her aching feet. Boots were soon kicked off, quickly followed by her socks and the top layers of her clothing. One arm reached out to draw a curtain around her sleeping area so she could undress fully, finish drying off, and get into some dry clothes. The curtain was then pulled back so Lifeline could hang her wet clothes up until she took the time to clean them. Light hazel eyes looked around the large tent. At least half of the curtains were drawn, indicating either sleeping volunteers or those who liked to keep the curtains drawn for privacy. Lifeline hopped onto her bed and laid back, letting a out a sigh of relief. She was tired. It had been a long and exhausting three weeks. Yet despite that, she wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. Her communication device was pulled out for the first time that day. It was no surprise that her notification light was blinking. She began to open up her various social media apps and scroll through all of the pictures and posts she had been tagged in. The vast majority were candid shots of her helping someone or cleaning up debris. There was the occasional one she had posed for; it was hard to say no to people who were just so excited to meet her. Round lips formed a soft smile as she read through one of the posts thanking her and the Frontier Corps for coming and helping them clean up their home. Her thumb tapped the screen, liking the post. Liking every post she was tagged in would take far too much of her time, but she always made sure to like the ones that stood out to her.

With her social media notifications cleared out, she moved to the various messages she had from people. The ones from “D” and “M” were promptly ignored. A response was given to Wattson and Gibraltar. As she continued to the next unread message, her eyebrows were raised up when she saw who it was. Lifeline could feel her heart rate pick up ever so slightly as she tapped on the conversation. The first message was a picture of Bangalore holding up a small potted cactus with, in Lifeline’s opinion, one of the dorkiest half grins she had ever seen the woman wear.

Bangalore – Got a little friend today!

The round cactus had lots of tiny needles and was no bigger than Bangalore’s hand. A wide smile formed on Lifeline’s face as she stared at the picture. Bangalore had finally ventured out to buy something for herself that wasn’t a basic necessity. Lifeline continued to scroll until she hit the next picture.

Bangalore – Ran into a bigger friend on the way to the check-out :D

Warmth spread through her chest. It was a picture of Bangalore, still holding her small cactus, taking a selfie with Gibraltar who had a garden hose slung over his shoulder and had his other arm across Bangalore’s shoulders in a half hug. Lifeline zoomed in on Bangalore’s face. The tiredness was obvious in the bags around her eyes, but she seemed genuinely happy in that picture. Both pictures were saved to her device as Lifeline made the mental note to check in on the cactus when she got back. Fingers quickly worked to type out a response.

Lifeline - What a cute little friend! I’d pat its head, but I’d rather not deal with all of those spines XD

The images were sent a few hours ago so Lifeline locked her device and set it to the side, Bangalore wasn’t prone to swiftly answer at this time of night. Lifeline was about to close her eyes when she heard her device vibrate. On the screen was the little notification for her messenger app. The new message was quickly opened. It was a third picture from Bangalore, a shot of the cactus positioned off to the side of her computer closest to the window.

Lifeline – Nice choice in placement there! It’ll gets lots of warmth and sunlight!

Only a few moments passed before another response came in.

Bangalore – Yeah! They said it would be easy to manage and could last a few days without water. I made a schedule on my device of when I’m supposed to water it, how much water to give it, and to inspect it.

Lifeline couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that remark. Of course Bangalore would do something like that. Another message popped up, but before she could read it someone called out her name. Light hazel eyes darted to the older man walking towards her.

“Whatcha need Owen?”

“Came to see how you were holding up,” he answered as he sat down backwards in the metal chair. “I know you can handle the physical labor and caring for others well, but I wanted to make sure people weren’t getting in the way. If so I can always have a couple of trusted volunteers watch your back.”

“They ain’t been a bother to me,” Lifeline shrugged. “Guess they know well enough to let me do my work.”

Owen nodded. “A lot of donations have been coming in thankfully, we will have enough to hopefully get everyone back on their feet.”

“That’s good, but I doubt ya here to talk to me about money, what’s going on?”

“Well, I wanted to know when you wanted us to fly you back. The games are coming up in three weeks or so…”

Round lips were pulled down into a frown. There was still a lot she could do here and she really didn’t need to prep so much for the next set of games. Staying out here also let her escape the whatever awkward interactions she was bound to have with a certain someone. She wasn’t avoiding Bangalore, not like she had done to her, it just felt easier to only talk randomly through text, that’s all.

“Maybe a week before the games?” she casually shrugged.

One bushy, white eyebrow was raised up. “Only a week? You sure you don’t want any more time to rest up? I know you always do well in the games-”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about,” Lifeline cut him off. “Just let me help out here as much as possible then I’ll catch my own plane back so ya don’t have to waste the resources when I can afford a ticket well enough.”

Owen frowned, still not completely convinced. Fortunately, he sighed and decided against trying to push the topic further.

“We always appreciate your help Ajay and I know you always take good care of yourself.”

“That I do, I’m actually going to catch a few hours of rest before meeting up with the morning crew, unless ya got anything else ya want to discuss?”

The older man shook his head and stood up. “Have a good rest, I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

Lifeline pulled the curtain around her bed once he left, taking care to shift her wet clothes, and finally took out her communication device to see the response Bangalore had sent her.

Bangalore – It doesn’t look too different from the ones that are all over Gridiron.

For a moment Lifeline didn’t know how to respond to that. She was happy that Bangalore picked out something that reminded her of her home, but at the same time she wondered if that would help the soldier’s mental state. Thumbs tapped against the screen, working to formulate her response.

Lifeline – I had no idea! That’s really cool though that ya were able to find one that reminds ya of ya home.

She slipped under the blankets and curled up while waiting to see if she would get another response or not. Two minutes later her device vibrated again, bringing her back from the edges of sleep she was already drifting off into.

Bangalore – Yeah, hated these back then though, probably because our drill sergeant liked to make us crawl through fields of these if our barracks weren’t clean enough or if we weren’t ten minutes early, or really anytime he wanted.

Lifeline – Crawling through fields of them?! For how long?

Bangalore – Fourteen until I turned sixteen and was put into the actual basic training.

The sleep that had been creeping up on Lifeline after her exhausting day was pushed back. She knew Gridiron was an IMC owned planet turned military base with the sole purpose of raising soldiers, she just hadn’t realized or ever asked what it was like to live there.

Lifeline – Fourteen? Wow…when I was fourteen I was sneaking out of my parents’ place to go practice with the band I was in. They really start ya training that young?

The response wasn’t immediate. Lifeline started to get worried that maybe she shouldn’t have pried into that. They had never talked about Bangalore’s life back on Gridiron before.

Bangalore – It was expected. You started your elementary schooling at four, finished at twelve and moved onto the standard education segment that was half general learning and half military for those that made the cut. By fourteen you were either heading into the military track or the supporting personnel track. Basic training at sixteen, and then once you were eighteen they shipped you out.

Lifeline – All of ya education and training was to prepare ya to fight for the IMC?

Bangalore – The IMC was everything. They owned everything. They made everything. Everyone worked for them. Being a soldier was praised and honored. It was all I ever knew. All my family ever knew.

Teeth lightly chewed on her bottom lip as she typed her response.

Lifeline – I can see why it’s such a big part of ya.

Bangalore – Yeah, haha.

Bangalore – It’s late, I should let you get some rest. Good luck out there saving lives and being a real lifeline!

The abrupt change in topics set off a few warnings in Lifeline’s mind that she had pushed a little out of the comfort zone. However, she wasn’t about to keep going. Bangalore was right, she needed her rest.

Lifeline – I’ll forgive ya for that terrible pun if I get to see ya little friend when I get back, deal?

Bangalore – Deal. Goodnight Ajay.

Lifeline – Goodnight Anita.

She closed the messenger app, double checked her alarm, and then tucked it under her pillow. Despite the hurt still resting in her chest, it was nice to talk to Bangalore like this.

The next few days seemed to rush by. With all of the debris finally cleared out, they shifted gears towards cleaning and rebuilding homes. Lifeline went to bed each night exhausted to the bone, so much so that it took the last of her energy to respond to whatever messages and emails had been sent to her throughout the day. Bangalore’s were always saved for last as they often left Lifeline with a smile on her face. It was obvious how much it helped her energy levels. The day after not getting a message from Bangalore tended to drag on. Lifeline hated to admit it and she hated how much Bangalore’s messages meant to her, even while they were technically on a break. Most times they were simple blurbs of text, but now and then Bangalore would send her a picture of something that had happened recently. Seeing her interacting with the other legends, usually Gibraltar, without her was a bittersweet feeling. She wanted to be there, but at the same time she was glad that Bangalore was able to do these things without her.

Lifeline zoomed in on a picture of Bangalore and Gibraltar after a workout together. Lips pressed against the screen over Bangalore’s face. A soft sigh was let out as she stared at the woman’s charming smile for another moment. Before locking her device and putting it away for the night, Lifeline checked the date. It was just over a week until the Apex games. She would be heading home soon. Blankets were pulled up to her chin as she curled into them and closed her eyes.

Bangalore’s landlord wasn’t too surprised when she went to talk to them about ending her contract. They had figured it was only a matter of time before Bangalore moved on to a better place once she had become an Apex Legend. Setting the move out by date was easy enough, and the lease termination paperwork wasn’t too bad. Bangalore put the date into her communication device. One week after the upcoming games she would be out of this place and into the nicer apartment she had signed up for. Sorting out that paperwork had been more of a nightmare, but she had made it through it. The IMC was known for their mile-long contracts and Bangalore always made sure to read them from start to finish.

As Bangalore was setting some collapsed, cardboard boxes down, ones she had acquired from the back of a grocery store, her device vibrated in her pocket. Lips were pressed together as she looked over the image sent to her and the attached message.

Lifeline – D.O.C. and I getting ready for our last sleep here before flying back tomorrow!

The image was a simple shot of Lifeline and D.O.C. snuggled up together in her bed. A small smile formed on Bangalore’s face as she saved the picture. It wasn’t often that Lifeline sent her those.

Bangalore – I hope you rest well then and have a safe journey back!

In one day and Lifeline would be back in the city. A multitude of emotions swirled through Bangalore. Nervousness, excitement, dread, joy. How was she going to act the next time they were around each other? If others were there it would be easier to act casual, but if it was just the two of them… Bangalore shook her head. Even if she had managed to settle her feelings towards Lifeline, that didn’t mean Lifeline would be in a similar state. She hoped she was, but there was no way for her to know until they actually had that conversation again. Fingers ran through the short curls on top of her head. Bangalore didn’t want that to be the first thing they talked about when they saw each other again. Lifeline was bound to be exhausted and would be focused on the games anyways. Still, Bangalore didn’t want to avoid Lifeline, she wanted to do something for her, something that might put a smile on her face and make her recovery a little easier.

An idea popped into Bangalore’s head. It would take a little bit to put together, but she had enough of the day left to get it done and dropped off so it would be there when Lifeline arrived. With the boxes and other packing items set to the side, Bangalore turned on her heel and headed out of her apartment.

Landing in the main city was a little jarring at first. No wreckage, bustling businesses, people moving along in their separate lives. It was such a stark difference to the place she had been in for over a month. Lifeline hopped on the next hover tram and in no time she was at the legend housing.

“Miss Che, you have a package!” the man behind the receptionist desk called out.

Stopping the forward momentum of her exhausted body made her internally groan. Why was she being stopped for a package now of all times?

“I’ll come pick it up later,” she waved off and continued towards the elevator. She didn’t want to deal with any fan gifts right now.

“They insisted you be given it as soon as you return.”

Lifeline suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. “They did?”

“Yes, let me go grab it really quick.”

Before she could object the man turned around and stepped into the room behind him. Lifeline rubbed her face with her one open had. All she wanted to do was get to her bed and fall on it. If the receptionist didn’t show in the next minute she was going to head up to her apartment. A moment later and he emerged with a small box in his hands. He approached Lifeline and made to hand it to her.

“It’s heavier than it looks.”

Lifeline didn’t even attempt to reach for it. “Can ya just set it on top of D.O.C.? Kinda got a bit to carry already,” she motioned to the heavy backpack, duffle bag, and more she had.

“Of course!” he said as he carefully set it on top of her drone’s head. “Let me call the elevator for you as well.”

“Thank ya.”

In a matter of minutes Lifeline arrived at her door. With her door unlocked and open, D.O.C. floated inside with a couple of happy beeps. Lifeline dropped her bags and closed the door. After taking the package from off top of her drone and giving it a little kiss of appreciation, they both headed to their respective charging stations. Lifeline fell face first onto her bed and was asleep in a moment.

Eight hours later, Lifeline’s grumbling stomach and bladder woke her up. She took care of those needs one by one. With the much needed rest, shower, and food, Lifeline felt like she had the energy to unpack and possibly look at the mysterious package that the insistent fan had sent to her. Eventually she sat down with the box in her lap and a knife. Light hazel eyes searched the outside, trying to find out who it was from and decide if maybe she should have her D.O.C. nearby incase it was something malicious. Then again, the mail center was supposed to scan for that type of stuff and her drone was peacefully charging away. A huff was let out, of course the “From” part was on the last side she checked. Eyes widened as soon as she recognized the blocky handwriting and “SGT”. The knife quickly and carefully cut open the box. Expertly packaged, so nothing would be damaged, was a care package of sorts; filled with items she liked. From specific foods and sweets to a couple bars of nicely scented soap and a bottle of bubble bath solution. Anxiety danced around in her stomach as she discovered a folded note. Hands carefully opened it up.

“A little something that will hopefully encourage you to take some time for yourself.

-Anita

PS If you want someone to join you at the firing range for a little friendly competition, I’m always game to out shoot you.”

Lifeline couldn’t help the smile that formed on her lips as she chuckled and shook her head. She pulled out her communication device and sent Bangalore a picture of her with the opened package and a message.

Lifeline – This was such a lovely surprise, thank ya Anita! Guess I need to set some time aside to treat myself, haha.

Bangalore – I’m glad you like it! I tried to pick out somethings I thought you’d enjoy.

Lifeline – Oh I will enjoy these, especially the bubble bath solution, but I really got to ask, ya really think ya can out shoot me so easily huh?

Bangalore – Considering that the last couple of competitions I soundly beat you, yes.

Lifeline – Then I hope ya aim backs up ya loud mouth because I’ll be at the range tomorrow around 14:00 looking for someone to shoot against.

Bangalore – 14:00 for your humility lesson it is then.

Lifeline – I’m going to make ya eat ya words sergeant.

Bangalore – We’ll see about that.

Only when she had put her communication device down did she realize that she had been egged into setting up a time for them to meet. There went any plans to just wait and see when they would run into each other again. Lifeline shrugged as she opened up one of the food packages and pulled out a piece of dried fruit. Maybe this would be a better way to transition into more casual interactions between them.

Bangalore was already at the firing range when Lifeline arrived. It was easy to tell that she had been there for at least a couple of rounds as the scent of gunpower followed her as she walked closer to Lifeline.

“Hey,” came a low husky greeting followed by a confident smirk. “You ready to get schooled?”

Lifeline was only caught off guard by that greeting for a second before she took a step closer and held Bangalore’s gaze.

“Ya can pay for my rounds after I show ya how to shoot a gun.”

Bangalore chuckled, her smirk shifting more into a smile. “Well then I’ll let you pick the first challenge, that is unless you need to warm-up or something.”

“I’m good to go right now,” Lifeline said as she reached her hands high and stretched. “Flatline, no mods, 50 meters.”

“Alright.”

Jumping right into the competition probably wasn’t the most strategic move as Bangalore quickly claimed the first few challenges, but Lifeline didn’t give up and steadily worked to try and change the tide.

Bangalore lowly whistled as she watched the moving panel flip back to blue after being cracked in the center with a kraber shot.

“That was one hell of a shot.”

She sounded genuinely impressed. Hell Lifeline was impressed with herself at landing that lucky shot.

“Let’s see ya take it from here and do better than that,” Lifeline smugly stated as she moved from her spot.

Bangalore matched the location, took a large step back, and lifted up her kraber. Lifeline rolled her eyes. This was their last challenge and everything was riding on it. Bangalore had easily won the majority of the rounds, but she managed to convince the woman to do an all or nothing gamble on who could land the harder kraber shot. The stakes? Paying for all the bullets they used, but more importantly bragging rights. The crack echoed through the firing range as Bangalore pulled the trigger. That same moving panel flipped from blue to red, but the number that was displayed was definitely smaller than the one that had appeared on her shot. Lifeline didn’t even try to hold back the wide grin forming on her face. For a brief moment Bangalore’s disappointment showed until she replaced it with a smile and a low laugh.

“Guess I got a bill to pay.”

“Oh? And what’s this I hear about a humility lesson?”

“Don’t push your luck Ajay, that was a gamble win, I still bested you on most of the guns.”

“I couldn’t quite hear that, did ya say that Ajay whooped ya butt in the firing range? Because that would be accurate.”

Bangalore stared at her for a full second before rolling her eyes. “Ajay whooped my butt with the kraber, alternator, spitfire, and prowler. All others I whooped her butt.”

Lifeline didn’t try pushing the topic further, that was all she was going to get out of Bangalore.

“So, I hear there’s a nice place not too far from here that serves some decent cold drinks. Care to check it out with me? I’m sure after being in all that heat for so long ya wanting a nice cold glass,” she changed the conversation.

“What’s the place?”

“The Apex Cafeteria!”

A surprised laugh jumped past Bangalore’s lips. She looked at Lifeline, checking to see if she really was serious, and when Lifeline didn’t say anything else, she just accepted it.

“Don’t know if I’ve been there,” Bangalore played along. “You’ll have to let me know what some of your recommendations are.”

They turned to rack their guns and leave.

“Well they have a great deal on this tall cold glass filled to the brim with the freshest hydrogen dioxide and cylindrical ice cubes you could imagine.”

“I am a fan of hydrogen dioxide.”

Lifeline looked to her side and up at Bangalore. Round lips formed a soft smile.

“Thanks for offering and meeting me here, it’s much more fun to shake off the rust with someone than by yourself.”

Bangalore’s cheeks darkened ever so slightly. “Yeah, uh, no problem. It was good to see you too. And…spend some time together.”

It was. Maybe it hadn’t been such a bad idea to meet up instead of waiting for when they would inevitably run into each other. While there was still that noticeable ache in her chest that came as a result of thinking or interacting with Bangalore, this little competition had felt like soothing lotion on a bad burn.


	37. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is, the final chapter, I hope you all enjoy :)

The bullet tore through Lifeline’s abdomen, knocking her down to her hands and knees. Her cry of pain was barely muffled through her gritted teeth. Light hazel eyes looked up, waiting to be finished off. The rest of her squad was long gone and she didn’t have any syringes left to use. However, Bangalore’s attention was already elsewhere, leaving Lifeline to bleed out while the sounds of multiple competitors converged on their location. One smoke grenade was launched, followed only a moment later by the second one as the mess of gunfire enveloped the building. Lifeline pressed herself into the corner, hoping to stay out of sight and mind. If she was lucky, she could pull out her drone for some healing. Figures fired back and forth just a few meters away from her in the slowly dissipating smoke. It wasn’t long before one of them fell to the ground and the victor ran off to fight the others that were still standing. Lifeline considered pulling out her D.O.C., but with so many people around and her vision already fading, she didn’t want to put it in any danger. A familiar figure crawled towards her before flopping onto her back.

“Hey,” Bangalore weakly managed.

Lifeline grimaced. Bangalore’s chest had a couple of holes in them. Judging by how shallow her breathing was and her wet cough, she was going to drown in her own blood before too long.

“Hey,” Lifeline returned.

A shiver crawled up her spine while the sounds around her steadily got quieter and quieter. Bangalore pushed herself a little farther so she was laying next to Lifeline’s left leg. One last breath was pulled in and coughed out. It hurt to watch the metal box form around Bangalore’s still body, even though Lifeline knew she would be fine in a few hours. Blood soaked hands fell away from the hole in her side, no strength remained to try and stop the river of red flowing from her body. Eyes drifted closed as she fell back against the wall.

Bangalore – I owe you dinner.

Lifeline – And why is that?

Bangalore – I killed you in the games.

Lifeline – No ya didn’t, ya boxed up before I did. Ya only managed to knock me.

Bangalore – But it was my bullets that ended you in a box, no one else came to finish you off.

Lifeline – …

Lifeline – I still don’t count it. Ya didn’t finish me.

Bangalore – I was going to finish you, I had to make the decision not to and let you bleed out while I tried to survive the soup sandwich that building turned into.

Lifeline – It would have taken ya one shot to finish me and ya couldn’t even spare to.

A couple of moments went by before Bangalore’s next response came in.

Bangalore – It’s ok if you’re feeling up to going to dinner with me, you can say that.

Light hazel eyes widened. Ok, she hadn’t intended for the conversation to go this route. She wouldn’t mind going to dinner with her, she just didn’t want to obligate Anita into paying for her. Right? It didn’t have to be a date, even if it sounded a lot like a date… Ajay shook her head, she was over thinking this. They could go to dinner as friends, nothing weird about that. It would beat eating by herself as she had done the past three nights after the awards ceremony.

Lifeline – That’s not what I meant, I was teasing ya. Getting dinner together sounds fun!

The reply still took a few minutes to come in.

Bangalore – Are you sure? I don’t want to pressure you into it.

Lifeline – 100% I wouldn’t want to pass up on good dinner company. Ya don’t owe it to me though.

Bangalore – I still think it meets the bet’s requirement, but we can discuss this in person, deal?

Lifeline – Deal

Bangalore – 19:00 work?

Lifeline – Yup

Bangalore – I’ll send you the location here in a second.

One moment later the restaurant details popped up on the screen. Round lips formed a soft smile. It was a place they had been to before and one of the few spots Bangalore felt more comfortable at.

Lifeline – Thank ya, see ya soon!

Bangalore – See you soon Ajay :)

For how casual this dinner was supposed to be, Anita was certainly overthinking it. She had wanted to wear something nicer, but was caught with only having protective gear, workout clothes, or her suits for the awards ceremonies to choose from. A low groan escaped her lips, she really needed to buy some other clothing. Eventually she picked out the protective clothing. They would still be out in public and she hadn’t gone a full month yet without someone trying to jump her. Anita could only hope Ajay didn’t dress up for the dinner that wasn’t a date. The place they were going wasn’t super fancy, just a nice family owned restaurant, so Ajay shouldn’t be showing up in a dress or anything. Not that Anita wouldn’t mind if Ajay showed up in a dress, she had yet to see Ajay wear a dress that didn’t look stunning on her. Anita shook herself from her wandering train of thought. Right now she needed to focus, get ready, then leave so she could be there to check in for the reservation she had made.

Much to Anita’s relief Ajay had shown up wearing a simple, flattering outfit; one that didn’t make her feel completely out of place. Once inside the restaurant, they were taken to a more private table that would hopefully keep the number of interruptions from fans or others to a minimum. Menu’s were handed out and before long their orders were made.

“So,” Ajay spoke up as she put her napkin on her lap, “I have to know, were ya the only member of ya squad left when we ran into each other?”

Anita set her water down and nodded. “Had a bad run in with Caustic that made me lose both of them before I finished off his squad. Was actually trying to head to that last respawn beacon when we had our little encounter.”

“Both of them? I thought Mirage was on ya team?”

“He was, and while he lasted a little longer than the FNG and managed to knock one of the other opponents, he played around in the gas too long. When Caustic got to him it didn’t take much to put him in a box.”

Ajay hummed thoughtfully. “Ya ain’t having any hallucinations are ya? From getting gassed.”

“Nope, I still had one antidote shot left from the ones you gave Wraith and I. Used it as soon as the coast and air were clear.”

“Good. If ya need more, feel free to drop by and pick some up, I made plenty.”

“I will, thanks. Do you still check in on those who get gassed after the games?” Anita asked before raising her glass up for another sip.

“I do. Most don’t need it because they died soon after, but never hurts to give them a little boost. There was one who made it long enough after getting hit with the gas last games that they were starting to show signs. Thankfully they only needed a couple of doses.”

Eyebrows were furrowed together. “I don’t remember you mentioning that after the last games.”

“Didn’t have the chance to come up, we were a little busy doing other things than talking about games stuff,” Ajay shrugged, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

Dark brown eyes went wide as she recalled what they had been so busy doing. “Oh, that’s right,” she chuckled as she too felt her face heat up.

“But that’s all old news,” the awkward topic was waved off, “what I want to know is when I can come see ya little friend.”

“My cactus?”

“Yes, I want to know if it is still alive,” Ajay spoke, her eyes sparkling with her subtle tease.

Anita regarded her with a raised eyebrow. “I’ll have you know that it is doing very well and if you want to see it, wait a couple of days it will be much closer.”

“What do ya mean by that?”

“The cactus and I will be moving into a new apartment.”

“Really? Where at?” Ajay leaned in slightly, her interest evident in her tone.

It was hard to hold back her smile as Anita delivered the information. “A little complex known for housing some interesting characters that kill each other for sport.”

“No way!”

A wide smile formed on Ajay’s face, brightening up her eyes. “What apartment are ya in? Do ya know yet?”

Anita nodded. “One floor down and a couple over from you. Hopefully not too close for comfort,” she finished with a soft chuckle.

“Ya could have moved into the empty spot next to mine and I wouldn’t have minded.”

“Really?” it was hard to believe that right away, all things considered.

“Well…if ya asked first and I had some time to think about it, but I think ya picked a great spot away. Got any neighbors?”

“Wraith on one side, the other is empty.”

Ajay nodded. “It’ll be interesting to see if ya get a neighbor, mine’s been empty since I’ve been here.”

“Well, whoever it is, I hope they are quiet, I’m not sure how sound proof the walls are.”

“They’re actually fairly thick, I made sure myself when I moved in. Helps me relax better when I plan to have fun,” Ajay finished with a wink.

There it was again, that shift in the conversation that either intentional or unintentionally made Anita think of the time she had spent in Ajay’s apartment. Anita nodded, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips before she quickly took another sip from her glass of water. Food arrived only minutes later and they were digging into their delicious dishes. The conversation moved on from there with Anita asking about Ajay’s recent job with the Frontier Corps. Laughter was traded, witty remarks were tossed back and forth, and many stories were shared. Anita couldn’t help but get caught several times just admiring Ajay. Whenever she was happy and excited like this, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Normally she might have paid that compliment, but now she didn’t dare to. They were just having a good time together as friends, there was no need to make things awkward. By the time they left the restaurant it was later than Anita had anticipated. She had no idea how the dinner would go so she hadn’t expected it to go long. Ajay must have heard her making that comment to herself as she responded to it.

“When company is good time seems to run away,” came the casual shrug. “I enjoyed doing this with ya, I hope ya did as well.”

Anita’s cheeks burned for what felt like the tenth time that night. “Of course I did!” she quickly replied. “Thank you for joining me.”

“Ya welcome, but don’t ya think ya getting away with paying for tonight. Next time we go out, I’m paying.”

“Next time?” An eyebrow was raised up.

“Ya, next time, unless ya’d rather not…”

“I’d like that,” Anita finished with a smile.

They stood there staring awkwardly at each other for a moment before Anita cleared her throat and began to back away.

“Got to, um, get back to my place.”

“Right, uh, do ya need any help moving?”

“I got it handled, don’t have too much to move really,” Anita tried to brush off.

“No seriously, I’d like to help. It’s a big thing ya moving into a decent apartment.”

“It will take me five minutes to load and unload the rental.”

“Then let me help unpack or something.”

It didn’t look like Ajay was going to give in, so Anita relented. “Alright, you can help me unpack.”

A triumphant smile formed on Ajay’s round lips. “Give me a heads up on when ya going to arrive, ok? That way I can make sure to be there to help out.”

“Solid copy.”

Once again they were caught not knowing entirely how to end the conversation and head their separate ways. Anita was going to just say good night and walk away when Ajay stepped forward and pulled her into a brief, yet tight hug. Warmth spread throughout her body as she wrapped her arms around Ajay and returned the hug. With their farewells finally traded, they headed off to their respective homes.

Ajay’s communication device vibrated. Swift fingers unlocked the screen.

“Finally,” Ajay smiled as she looked at the message from Anita.

Anita wasn’t expecting her at the loading dock in the back of the complex, that was easy enough to tell by the surprise on her face when she saw Ajay standing there waving at her. The curly haired woman parked the rental truck and moved to open the back. Ajay couldn’t help but tease her for the crazy number of boxes she had, five in total plus a few other random items including her table and chair.

“Ya going to spend the whole day just moving all of these!”

Anita laughed as she slung a rifle case across her back and picked up a smaller box with a pistol case on top. “Good thing I got you to help then, right?”

“Damn right ya are!” Ajay said as she picked up the biggest box.

It was heavy, but she could handle it. Anita regarded her with a raised eyebrow and opened her mouth.

“Don’t ya dare ask if I need help, I can carry two grown adults on top of my full gold backpack and loaded spitfire,” Ajay cut her off.

She closed her mouth and shook her head. “Then I will leave you to it,” she said as she closed and locked the back of the truck.

It was a matter of pride to not set the box down once the entire journey to Anita’s new apartment. There had been a couple of glances sent back by Anita checking on her, but each time she just held her chin high and kept moving forward. To Ajay’s immense satisfaction she made the trip without breaking too much of a sweat. Watching Anita unlock her apartment and step into it for the first time was a moment Ajay wasn’t going to forget any time soon. Her hand had been hesitant, almost uncertain if the DNA lock would recognize her. When it had and the door was opened with a careful push, a look of wonder and happiness formed on Anita’s face.

“Wow…” she breathed out. “This is nice.”

Ajay stepped in after her and looked around. There were the standard appliances in the kitchen, but everything else was bare. The moment lasted only for a few seconds before Anita cleared her throat and quickly got to work setting down the things she was carrying. Both gun cases were stashed away in the entryway closet while the box was put next to the back wall of the living room. Ajay followed suit and set hers next to it. Anita was already heading for the door when she reached out and caught her wrist.

“Hey,” Ajay pulled her back.

Light hazel eyes widened when she saw a tear running down Anita’s right cheek. Not a tear of sadness or anger, but one of joy. She didn’t even think to stop herself before she cupped Anita’s angular cheek and wiped the tear away with her thumb. Anita leaned into the touch ever so slightly.

“I know how big of a step this is for ya; I think ya made a great choice and will enjoy living here.”

She wasn’t sure if she was the one who hugged first or if Anita had, but a second later they were standing there holding each other tightly. The feeling of Anita’s muscular arms around her and Anita’s large, warm hands splayed against her lower back was a welcomed touch.

“I’m proud of ya,” Ajay murmured against Anita’s chest, her cheek pressed against the synthetic fabric.

“Thank you, Ajay. I wouldn’t have done it without you. You helped to push me towards this path.”

Ajay looked up into Anita’s dark brown eyes, a soft smile forming on her lips. For a moment Ajay could have sworn their faces were moving closer together, but whatever tension or trance that had been there was suddenly broken by the loud, cheerful voice booming into the apartment.

“Guess who’s getting a new couch?!”

They instantly jumped apart from each other and turned to face Gibraltar who was standing in the entryway. Ajay’s cheeks burned, whether it was from embarrassment at being caught in that moment or anger at being interrupted, she wasn’t entirely certain.

“You are?” Anita tried, obviously not noticing the corner of the aforementioned piece of furniture partially visible behind Gibraltar.

“You are sista!” he said as he stepped to the side and motioned to the couch.

“I am?” to say she was shocked was an understatement; it was easy to tell how hard her mind was working to compute the statement.

“You sure are!” Gibraltar threw his arm around Anita’s shoulders and pulled her in for a side hug. “It’s a house warming gift from yours truly!”

“I…thank you G, that’s a very generous gift,” she said as she gave him a tight hug.

“Hey this is a momentous occasion, now you can really call yourself a Legend.”

“Oh? I didn’t know living in this mad house with the rest of you was one of those hidden requirements.”

Ajay stepped outside to access the best method to get the couch through the door. “Hey Gibby! Did ya carry this all ya self?”

“Sure did,” the big man chuckled as he walked over. “It’s not too heavy.”

Ajay crouched down to grab one end of the couch while Gibraltar got the other. It was lighter than it looked but it definitely weighed more than 80kg. She attributed most of the weight to the hardwood used for the frame.

“If we hold it sideways, we should be able to get it in without too much trouble.”

“You got it!”

The couch barely fit through the doorway on its side, but they made it. With Gibraltar’s extra set of hands, they only needed to make two more trips to finish unloading the truck. They all then went to the truck rental with Anita. Ajay riding along in the truck for company, while Gibraltar followed behind them in his jeep so he could provide the ride back. The journey back to the apartment had a surprise detour as Gibraltar took them to a furniture store so Anita could pick out a few more essentials for her place. It took a bit of encouragement and patience but she eventually loosened up and found a dresser, bookcase, and entertainment center she wanted. Each piece had to be assembled, but that was the perfect thing for Anita and Gibraltar to do while Ajay worked to unpack. Between the two of them they had the dresser perfectly assembled in less than an hour.

Ajay carefully cut the box labeled “Clothing and Gear” open. The contents of the box were packed very neatly, making it easy to see what would be hung up and what would go into the dresser. Ajay decided to start with the hanging items. She didn’t really know how Anita liked to organize her clothing, but she figured putting similar pieces together was her best bet. If Anita had another method, she could do that herself. Ajay lightly hummed as she pulled out the next piece, not really paying attention to the conversation Gibraltar and Anita were having in the other room. Her body froze as soon as she realized what she was hanging up. Synthetic materials, light armor, blue’s and greys, and last but not least, the IMC logo. Light hazel eyes blinked once. Just looking at the outfit brought a rush of memories back to her. Memories she wasn’t proud of. Round lips were pulled into a frown, there should be a number of holes in it, especially the long cut in the right side. Ajay leaned in closer to inspect it. There was a subtle difference in the color of the material in that spot. Patch work. Anita had fixed it. The sound approaching footsteps snapped Ajay out of her reverie. She quickly hung it up and moved onto the next item.

“I’m going to grab some food, you hungry?” Gibraltar’s deep, friendly voice came from the doorway of the bedroom.

“I uh…” She had been hungry until just a moment ago. “Just grab me something small.”

“Noodles with meat and vegetables sound good?”

“Ya.”

“Ok!”

Ajay kept working through the box, her ears straining to pick up the light conversation Gibraltar traded with Anita. When she heard the door close, she let out the breath the had been holding. The armor in her hands was hung up then she took a moment to step out of the room. Anita was busy making minute adjustments to the location of the couch and the finished entertainment center. Ajay wanted to walk up to her and hug her, but at the moment she wasn’t sure if the action would be welcomed. Very little supported the idea of Anita rejecting the hug, but even that tiny possibility was enough to keep Ajay from wanting to move forward with the idea. The frown on her face deepened as her arms held herself tighter. It was so silly to be affected like even after all this time, she hadn’t even been the victim in that circumstance!

“You look lost in thought.”

Light hazel eyes jumped to looked up at Anita, who was now standing in front of her. Ajay shrugged and looked to the side.

“Didn’t expect ya stuff to bring back some of my memories.”

Anita shrugged. “Memories are weird, sometimes it’s the random and simple thing that brings them back.”

“Yeah…”

Ajay shoved her fear of rejection to the side as she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Anita’s waist. Her muscular frame tensed up for a moment before she relaxed and held Ajay back, her head bowing just enough so her chin gently rested on the top of Ajay’s head.

Maybe if they had talked about their relationship seeing that IMC uniform wouldn’t have impacted her so much. Yet as it was, Anita hadn’t said she wanted to keep dating her. Granted the texting and the dinner together were positive indicators, Ajay couldn’t completely shake the idea that Anita might not be able to move past the block that had drove a wedge between them in the first place. Ajay wanted to keep seeing Anita and pursuing a romantic relationship with her. The time she had taken away to help the Frontier Corps had only solidified that. However, she wanted, no, needed to know that Anita felt the same.

“Do you want to talk about it?” came Anita’s concerned voice.

She wants to, but Gibraltar is bound to arrive at any moment.

“It’s nothing really, I just needed a hug,” Ajay lied.

“Ok.”

They stayed there for a moment longer before Ajay excused herself to get back to work on putting the rest of the clothes away. Gibraltar showed up only minutes later with the food, further proving that starting that conversation then would have been a bad idea. Ajay thankfully managed to eat half of the bowl of food Gibraltar got for her. When she had been first handed the plastic take-out container, she was afraid her appetite still hadn’t returned. However as soon as she opened it up and the delicious scents filled her nose, her stomach relaxed and demanded what was inside. Their lively dinner conversation brightened the room and lifted her mood. Gibraltar always had entertaining stories to tell and by the time he was saying his good-byes, Ajay was jamming along to the music Bangalore had turned on. They did the final organizing of the apartment together. Even with the new furniture and the other decorative purchases Anita had recently made, the place was still very bare. Ajay got the honor of finding the best spot for the cactus to sit so it would get the necessary amount of sunlight.

Eventually the two found themselves resting on the couch after the busy day. Moving always had a way of wearing Ajay out, even Anita’s small amount of possessions. The couch was comfortable and big. Big enough that four people could sit on it comfortably, yet Ajay found herself gravitating towards Anita’s relaxed form. Without really thinking about it she had curled into Anita’s side. An arm was wrapped around her shoulders and a head was rested against the top of hers. Light hazel eyes struggled to stay open as the warmth of spot she was in and the fatigue settled into her bones.

Ajay jolted awake, arms pushing against what was underneath her to sit up straight; eyes darting around as they adjusted to the dark room. The fabric and firm softness under her palms were not the couch. Heat rushed to her face, yet before she could detangle herself from Anita, arms reached up and pulled her back down.

“Warm,” Anita sleepily muttered.

“Anita,” Ajay hissed as she gently pushed back against the arms wrapped around her. “Wake up!”

No response, only arms tightening their hold.

Ajay huffed and let herself be held. It’s not that she minded being in this position, quite the opposite actually. However, she felt that she should. Staying here was only bound to hurt in the end when Anita inevitably came to her senses and shoved her away. Round pulls fell into a frown at that thought. Ajay let out a soft sigh and shifted her head so it was easier to hear the soothing rhythm of Anita’s heartbeat. Several minutes passed with her just laying on top of Anita and feeling more guilty for doing so with every second. She should fight to get out of Anita’s hold, yet Ajay couldn’t find in her the strength to do that. Maybe for a moment she could pretend everything was ok between them.

“What am I doing?” Ajay mumbled to herself.

A heavy sigh was let out beneath her. That wasn’t a sleepy sigh, that was from someone who was wide awake and had definitely heard what she had just said. Muscular arms let her go so they could both sit up. Ajay watched Anita’s silhouette stumble through the darkness until she managed to find a light switch and flip it on. Anita returned to the couch, rubbing the side on her face and sitting so she was facing Ajay.

“I could ask myself the same question,” Anita broke the silence.

“We need to talk Anita.”

“We do,” she nodded, her dark brown eyes glancing to the side for a moment before looking at her.

Ajay wasn’t going to start the conversation; the ball had been left in Anita’s court last time. It was her turn to make her play.

“I did a lot of thinking and soul searching while you were gone.” A single chuckle was forced out. “Felt like there was this emptiness that followed me everywhere. Don’t know how I managed not to notice it until then. I couldn’t get what you said out of my mind. What you said about me not letting myself have a life here. So, I tried living a little more, as I’m sure you noticed in our messages back and forth.”

“I did,” Ajay allowed herself to smile at that. “I was happy for ya.”

Anita nodded again. “I did a lot of thinking about us too.” She let out a heavy breath and rolled her shoulders back. “I was so stuck, trapped in the middle of two sides that weren’t going to compromise. So, I went on a little journey and visited places I never thought I would willingly return to.”

Ajay’s eyebrows were raised up as dozens of questions burned in her mind, yet she kept them back so Anita could continue without interruption.

“I went to the supply cache, I went to the crash site, I even went back to my ‘cell’.”

Anita’s emotions were carefully controlled, yet Ajay could see the pain in her eyes. Dark brown eyes met light hazel ones.

“I went there so I could forgive myself. To process what happened, and to accept my decisions.” Anita scooted a little closer to Ajay and reached out to hold her hands. Thumbs gently caressed her knuckles. “I found some peace, the turmoil isn’t entirely gone, but I know what I want in regard to you and what I want is a relationship.”

Ajay pulled back slightly in surprise, but Anita held on, not letting their hands separate.

“Being around you makes me feel so happy. Even just mundane things like moving or shooting guns at a range. And I’m not wanting this relationship because I’m lonely and starved for affection, I want you because you add so much to my life. I can’t think of how things would be if we didn’t become friends, let alone lovers for that brief moment. My life wouldn’t be the same.”

They shared a painful laugh at the now bittersweet moment they had shared after the previous games. Anita looked away for a second to clear her throat. Ajay quickly blinked back the tears starting to form in her eyes. Dark brown eyes looked into hers once again.

“What do you think? Do you want to be in a relationship with me?”

A wide smile broke out on Ajay’s face. “Of course I want to,” she said as she pulled Anita in for a hug. “I told ya I’d give ya space to figure ya shit out.”

“And you did, thank you. I needed that.”

Ajay closed her eyes, letting herself relax into the embrace. Anita let out another sigh of relief and she couldn’t help but laugh a little at it. Eventually they pulled back from each other.

“Now when things get bad for ya again, talk to me, ok? No more of the running off and dropping off the face of the planet stuff again.”

“I won’t.”

“Good.”

There was that tension between them as they stared at each other. Ajay scooted a little closer and leaned in ever so slightly. Dark brown eyes glanced down at her lips for a moment before Anita nervously chewed on the bottom on her lip. Hands slid up muscular arms to rest on her strong shoulders. Anita leaned in a little this time.

“Ajay?”

“Mm?”

“May I kiss you?”

A light chuckle was breathed out. “I thought ya would never ask.”

They met in the middle; lips pressed together for a soft kiss. Ajay could tell the both of them wanted to continue, but she pulled back after a few blissful moments.

“Best we go slow, right?”

“Yeah,” Anita agreed.

Little could describe how happy Ajay felt at this moment. They were getting a second chance at their relationship. She curled into Anita’s side, enjoying the warmth and closeness.

“Mind if I stay here for a little longer?”

A tender kiss was pressed to the top of her head.

“Not at all.”

<3 Anita <3 – I need help.

Ajay :) – What happened?

<3 Anita <3 – I really have no idea what I’m doing here, do you have a moment to come to the store I’m at?

Ajay :) – Yeah, I got time. I’m just at my lab tinkering around on things. What store are ya at?

Anita quickly worked to send over the details. She cast a nervous glance over her shoulder to make sure no other employees were coming over to ask her if she needed assistance.

Ajay :) – ?? Ok, I’ll be there in fifteen.

<3 Anita <3 – You’re a real lifeline.

Ajay :) – I know ;)

While the minutes ticked by, Anita slowly made her way to the entrance of the store so Ajay could find her right off the bat. It was quite embarrassing to call for help with this, but she had tried doing it on her own for the past hour or so with no success. The woosh of the automatic doors opening up made her spin around to see who had entered. Ajay greeted her with an amused smile.

“Mattress shopping?” she motioned to the dozens of beds laid out around them.

“Never done it before,” Anita grumbled, her face heating up already.

“How are ya as old as ya are and haven’t bought a mattress?”

“My parents never sought my input and a soldier’s bed was standard issue with no options.”

“Right, and ya been sleeping on the floor the past two years it seems.”

“My futon is adequate, I just figured it was time to get a bed, all things considered,” Anita huffed.

“Then I hope ya not getting anything smaller than a queen,” Ajay tossed over her shoulder.

Anita chose not to respond to that and continued to follow Ajay as she moved through the store. Some of the employees brightened up upon seeing Lifeline in their store, but a quick glare from the intimidating Bangalore kept them from fawning all over her. She had always figured a mattress to be a fairly simple item, hence why she thought she would have no issue picking one out herself. However, the more Ajay went on about the various mattresses they tested out, Anita’s eyes were slowly opened to all the different variables that go into this sleeping platform.

Thankfully it didn’t take long for Anita to figure out that she wanted a foam mattress that was mildly firm and didn’t have all the crazy gadgetry that some had. From there they worked to find one that she liked the look of and that fit in her budget. Anita made sure to lay down on all sides for the same amount of time so she could have an even assessment. Quiet, teasing comments were tossed her way for that. Dark brown eyes glared over at Ajay only to catch her quick wink. Cheeks flushed once again. They had been officially dating for two weeks now, but that was only known between the two of them. Granted Gibraltar, Wraith, and Natalie probably figured it out, but they had yet to actually confirm it. Informing the public of their relationship was an easy no as nothing good was going to come of that.

“So, ya seem to have gone past ya usual time on this one, think ya might have found a winner?” Ajay’s voice broke into her thoughts.

Anita studied the mattress she was currently laying on for a moment, getting a feel for how much it bounced and how deep she sank when she sat on it.

“It is very comfortable,” Anita admitted. Practically all of the mattresses felt very comfortable is comparison to her futon, but this one did make her relax and drift off considerably more than the others. “This just might be the one,” she finished with a slight smirk.

The top three mattresses were compared until Anita finally settled on one. Finalizing the paperwork and making that purchase was a little more nerve wracking than she had anticipated even with the long return policy. However, after three hours Anita was heading out the door with another item on her to do list checked off and a mattress that would be arriving in two days.

“Thanks again for helping me out on such short notice.”

Ajay shrugged. “I got ya. Maybe ya can pay me back by making me dinner tonight; got to work a little later at the lab to finish up what I was working on.”

“Alright,” Anita chuckled. “Yours or mine?”

“Mine has a table, more than one chair, and a bed, so I think that choice is obvious.”

“The dining set would have arrived this week, but the delivery man lost the package or something,” came the low grumble.

Ajay laughed as she turned to head towards the hover trams. “Well when it does finally show up, maybe we can change things up,” she finished with a wink.

“Roger that.”

Dinner together wasn’t something they always got to do. While being official they both had their personal schedules to keep. Ajay was often doing things for the Frontier Corps, and Anita was digging around for any shred of information about her brother Jackson. So Anita made sure not to waste the opportunity whenever she got to cook for her girlfriend. Knowing her way around a kitchen, a grill, and a fire was mandatory for every member of the Williams’s family. Those skills she developed over the years came in handy all the time, and tonight she got to flex them a little more than usual and make something that really impressed Ajay.

It didn’t take long after dinner for Anita to find herself on the couch with Ajay on her lap while they traded soft kisses back and forth. Teeth gently bit her lower lip and tugged on it slightly as Ajay leaned back. Anita barely kept back the light moan that had wanted to escape. They kissed again, this time a little longer than before with mouths opening up for a brief moment. She could feel the heat building between them, but as much as she wanted to keep going, she knew it was for the best if things didn’t get any hotter.

“We should slow down,” Anita mumbled against Ajay’s lips.

“Mmm?” Ajay hummed as she captured her lips for a second. “Hard to when kissing ya is so enjoyable.”

Anita chuckled as she returned it. “I could say the same for you.”

They rested their foreheads against each other as they took a moment to collect themselves.

“So ya got an apartment, a bed, what’s next for the unstoppable Bangalore? Overthrowing the Syndicate?” came the light tease.

“Not yet, but at least another championship and a sound elimination of the lethal Lifeline.”

Ajay swatted her shoulder. “Ya got another thing coming if ya think ya can take me down so easily!”

“According to the records-” she didn’t even get to finish before Ajay pushed her firmly against the back of the couch and silenced her with a kiss.

The conversation was discarded as they caved into this one a little more than the others. When they finally separated, Anita’s face was flushed and her heart was pounding in her chest. Light hazel eyes gazed down into hers, a tender smile forming on round lips.

“I love ya Anita.”

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment. Warmth spread through her chest.

“I love you too, Ajay.”

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to all of you for your love and support for this fic! I had a great time writing it through all the highs and lows and big surprises. I loved reading all of your wonderful comments as well :D
> 
> A special Thank YOU! goes to BadTemptress for being my beta reader and answering all of the questions I would ask her about each chapter.
> 
> For future stuff from me, I still have a number of ideas I'd like to write out (both in the Lifelore and Lobalore arenas), but for now I am going to take a little break from posting. Thanks again for joining me on this journey!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all thanks for reading! This fic will update on a random basis, but will try to keep it to once a week for this first little bit.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Crashing Hard](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25694569) by [sparkybun210](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkybun210/pseuds/sparkybun210)




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